Twenty Four Points of Perfection
by poeticgrace
Summary: The numbers don't lie when an online dating profile makes two best friends reconsider everything they thought they knew. JARLY.
1. Point One

Long after Spinelli and Maxie had left to pursue their latest mystery, long after Jax had gotten up from the table after being rejected by Leyla, long after she had stopped noticing anything or anyone around her, Carly sat alone at a private table in the Metrocourt dining room clutching a piece of paper that told her everything that she had known for so long but had tried to deny to herself.

When Jason's sidekick and the police commissioner's daughter first approached her about online dating, Carly had blown it off as another one of the duo's ridiculous ideas. She had seen the two of them come up with a number of them since they started hanging, but this was the first one that had impacted her directly. Usually she was happy to sit on the sideline and enjoy the chaos they created in Jason's world. It was nice to see him have to actually live his life, something he hadn't been doing much of since Michael had been shot and he had taken over the organization from Sonny. With Spinelli, the usually stoic mobster had to let down his guard just enough to let him into his life. It was just another paternal role Jason had taken on willingly. Carly loved to watch the two of them together, reminding her so much of how her best friend had been with their little boy. There were few people that Jason let truly know him, and she knew that he had finally trusted strange hacker into one of the hardest places in this world to reach – his heart.

Carly knew firsthand how difficult that task could be. She had been the first one to penetrate through every single one of Jason's barriers and find a permanent place in his world. No one had the longevity that Carly had in Jason's life. There was no one that came before her. Even his misguided love for Elizabeth hadn't been enough to break their bond. He had come after her the night she found them together, concern shining in his icy blue eyes. She didn't even have to say something and he knew that her world had fallen apart. They had sat together for hours after the prissy nurse left, huddled together on his sofa. Carly had felt bad for interrupting his life but she also knew Jason. He didn't let anyone convince him do something that he didn't ultimately want to do. If he had wanted Elizabeth to stay, she would have stayed. He had chosen Carly. Everyone knew that he would always choose Carly.

Yet, despite knowing all these things, Carly had always said their role as soulmates was strictly as friends. Their love for each other was deeply routed in more than a decade of friendship, highs and lows, almost loves and too much heartbreak for a lifetime. She had hurt him once more than she had ever hurt anyone in her life, even Jax. However, unlike her current husband, Jason had loved her enough to forgive her. He wanted her in his life however he could have her and had pledged his life to keeping her and the boys safe. No one had ever been as consistent in her life, and she was happy that Jason could say the same about her. Through every court battle, every breakup, every trip to the hospital, Carly had been the one woman he could always count to show up for him. She would fight to the death to save him. People always thought that he was crazy for putting up with her but they didn't see what he saw. They didn't know that she was just as much there for him as he was there for her.

Now, as she scanned the sheet filled with statistics and comparisons and bar graphs, Carly wondered if all of their history didn't mean more. She loved Jason just as much as she did all those years ago when he had confessed his love for her, if not more. She loved him more than she could ever imagine loving anyone other than her children. They had shared dreams in the midst of their darkest moments, connecting via a pool fantasy while she lay unconscious in murky waters and he was sedated during surgery. It was undeniable that they had a connection, but Carly hadn't let herself believe that it was anything more than friends in so many years. She had been too afraid to even consider the thought, worried that he would reject her or that their friendship would be risked. It was the only chance she had ever been afraid to take. Somehow, nothing had ever seemed to matter more.

Running her finger down the long list of matching points, she smiled again to herself as she read the statistics. They matched in twenty-four of the twenty-five romantic indicators, a pretty amazing feat by all considerations. CarolineOnTheBeach and DangerDude were perfect for each other on paper, but she feared that it might be a little harder to translate to reality. Carly wished that she could look into the future and see how all this would turn out, but what would be the fun in that? Jason would hate that Spinelli had even done this, but she would be able to convince him that it was only because the young man cared so much about him. God knows that he had forgiven her more than once because he knew her heart was in the right place. However, she didn't want to think about that right now. She didn't want to think about anything negative when she came to this piece of paper, the one that said that there was someone out there who was perfect for her. Not every girl is fortunate enough to call the man she loves more than anyone else in the world her best friend.

"I could risk it," Carly whispered to herself as she looked at the first matching point. They were exact opposites in many of the categories, bringing a balance and symmetry to the relationship that enabled them to last such a long time. However, in the first category on the list, they were exactly alike. It made sense since it was one of the first things that had ever attracted her to him. He'd been nothing more to her than a boy on the side, a sexy guy in a leather jacket who could shoot pool with the best of them. He was still that man to her sometimes, only with so much more.

_One point of perfection – the greatest addiction. _For this category, Spinelli and Maxie had accurately answered that both Jason and Carly were addicted to adrenaline. It was true that both of them thrived in that little rush in the pit of their stomach that they would get before they did something daring. For him, it could mean racing his motorcycle along the bluff or sinking an eight ball with the perfect shot or exerting his power when it came to the organization. For her, it could mean pushing the pedal all the way down on her new speedboat or maneuvering two balls in their pockets with a bank shot or scheming her way through her latest drama. It didn't really matter how they got the rush, they just lived for it.

Carly had known that Jason was addicted to that rush the first night they played pool at Jake's and he had slowly danced her around that dingy bar. It was written all over his face, obvious in his every movement. From the way he possessively held onto her to the heated way he had tried to dominate her upstairs, he loved to push the envelope. And while that had subsided some over the years as he had matured, there was still a definite edge to Jason Morgan. It was the quality that scared people around him the most but not Carly. She was never afraid of the life that he led, even now. She trusted him more than she had ever trusted Sonny when it came to keeping her safe. He wouldn't let anything happen to her or Morgan. That was her secret weapon for never being scared when it came to those adrenaline situations that she loved so much. Jason would never let her fall.

Their reasons for seeking out adrenaline were different, though. For Carly, her need for the rush always came during the times when she was the most scared. She had started her misguided dance of seduction with Karpov when Jax had disappeared and she was worried that their marriage was over. Jason had tried to talk her out of it, but they both knew that she wouldn't listen. She never listened when she wanted to help him. He was the same way, but of course, that was an entirely different point of perfection.

Jason's need for adrenaline came when he was feeling restless. He would race his motorcycle when he needed to make a big decision but couldn't focus. Carly had never really ridden on the bike with him all that much; that was something more that he had done with wholesome girls like Robin and Elizabeth. He could clear his mind and think when they were around. That just wasn't possible with Carly. Whenever he was around her, she dominated everything about his life, including his every thought. Sometimes he complained about how it drove him crazy, but she saw the playful smile that would break through and knew that he secretly loved it too. The speed, the adrenaline, that was his way of quieting down the chaos around him. Only Jason would find peace at the end of a handgun, but it somehow restored order to his world. It made sense. It was the only reality he had ever known. The mob and Carly were as synonymous with his life as water and air.

"I have to see him," she whispered to herself as she looked down at the paper once again. The truth had been staring her in the eye for a long time, and she couldn't deny it any longer even if she wanted to. There was more to this. There had to be. Even if there wasn't, she had to at least try. There had to be a reason that neither of them could hold down a relationship, while their friendship grew stronger year after year. There had to be a reason that no man could even begin to hold a torch to him. There had to be a reason he always put her before the other women in his life, even when he had claimed to love the others.

Carly took the printout and folded it in half before tucking it into her oversized leather tote between a permission slip for Morgan's field trip tomorrow and the latest rendering of some rooms on the upper levels she was going to remodel. After waiting more than ten years to finally admit to herself how she felt about him, Carly suddenly couldn't bear to wait ten minutes to see him. She had to look into his eyes. If she just looked there, the place that she called home, she would know. It would all make sense again. She would be able to confess her feelings or at least babble absently about the printout while he pretended not to listen. Meanwhile, she knew that he would be hanging onto every word, a fact that would only be proven later when he yelled at Spinelli for going through with this in the first place.

As Carly headed down to the front entrance to meet her limousine to head across town to his office, she thought about the high of all highs. The greatest adrenaline rush of Carly's life just happened to be the same one as Jason's. Standing in the rain that night, begging him to be a father to her baby, it was the greatest scheme Carly would ever concoct. It would be a plan that would change both of their lives, one that actually ended up working for the better. Even if no one else ever saw it that way, the two of them would always know that he made the right choice that night. Jason would have eventually faded into the background like the many men who had come in her life. Instead, he became a permanent fixture in her world. They wouldn't have had that time as a family with Michael, a year that she knew he counted as the best of his life. If they hadn't taken that chance and leapt together into the unknown, their entire lives would have been different. Without that year of her life, there would be no Carly and Jason.


	2. Point Two

Patience had never been Carly's strong suit. In fact, some people would say that it was her greatest weakness. It was a characteristic that had wrecked her life more than once, sending her entire world in a tailspin whenever she started to crawl in her skin. There had always been one place that she could go to make sense of things again. That was Jason to her. He was her clarity, her sanity, her peace of mind.

"Take a breath and count to ten," she reminded herself as she leaned forward intently in the backseat of the limousine, silently willing the driver to speed up. She knew the roads to Jason's office and home by heart. She could have easily navigated them in her sleep. However, Jason didn't like it when she drove. Carly didn't exactly have an outstanding record when it came to getting behind the wheel. It had scared her too much to even try for so long, and when she finally had five years ago, she had disappeared for awhile. He had made her promise then and there that she would never drive without calling him first. Whatever she needed, wherever he was, he would drop everything and get to her. He wouldn't risk losing her again like that. If she ever found herself in that situation, she just needed to remember what he had always told her and count to ten.

Dragging her slender fingers through her tousled golden ringlets, she retrieved her BlackBerry somewhere from the depths of her handbag. She ignored the list of missed calls, waiting text messages and nagging emails. There were a lot of things she needed to take care of tonight but only one of them seemed to matter. Dialing a number from memory, she waited for the call to connect. "Hey, Mama, it's me," she greeted Bobbie. "Morgan is at the cottage with Mercedes. She asked off for tonight, and I really need to go talk to Jason about something important. Do you think you could swing by and keep him tonight for me? I'll bring breakfast by in the morning."

"You know that you don't have to bribe me with food to get me to spend time with my grandson," Bobbie reminded her happily. "I'd love it if Morgan stayed with me tonight. Things have been so crazy lately, I feel like I never see you guys anymore. It's almost like I've virtually disappeared! You take care of things with Jason, and we'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

"Thank you so much!" Carly retorted exuberantly before readjusting her tone. She didn't want her mother to ask too many questions because she would see right through any story Carly tried to concoct to cover up what was really going on. There were only two people who could always tell when she was lying, her mother and Jason. They were also the two people that she hated to lie to the most and only did when absolutely necessary. It killed her to know that she was hurting either of them when they were the two who loved her the most. "Give Morgan a big kiss for me. I'll call to check on him before he goes to bed."

After hanging up the phone with her mother, Carly turned off her cell and tossed it back into her bag. The last thing she wanted was any distractions tonight. Bobbie knew where she was and would call Jason if there was an emergency. Rummaging through her back some more, she grinned triumphantly as she came across her makeup bag. With Jason, there had never been a reason to put on face full of cosmetics. She knew that her preferred her au natural. Instead, she just ran her fingers through her hair a few times for that bedhead look and swiped vanilla lip gloss across her mouth. That was the one thing Jason had always appreciated about her. He had loved the warm taste of vanilla when it came from her lips.

The privacy window that separated Carly from the driver came down as the man turned around and looked at her apologetically. He was another one of the guards that Jason had hired to protect her after he took over the organization from Sonny. She had a full entourage now, at least two went with her everywhere she went. Sometimes they tried to act inconspicuous, but she had a habit of befriending them. When she was still married to Sonny, she had made it a habit to know the men who worked for them. She knew their birthdays, favorite foods, all about their families. If they were going to spend all that time with her and the boys, she insisted on knowing who they were. That fact hadn't changed when Jason took over. She still saw it as her responsibility to act as a hostess. The only thing that was different was that she kept Morgan away from the offices, the warehouses, the man she loved more than anything in the world. Well, that was going to change tonight. She would no longer hide away from everything out of fear. She wouldn't treat Jason like Elizabeth had. She would love him as he was – completely – just as she always had.

"I'm sorry, Carly, there was an accident up ahead and traffic is backed up on all sides for blocks. I know how much you hate waiting, but I think we're going to be stuck here for awhile," the guard apologized. "One of the guards just informed me that he is no longer in his office. He has gone home for the evening, so I'm going to head that way once traffic clears up. Mr. Morgan had me restock the fridge back there with that sparkling water that you like, and there are some candy bars in the side pocket of the door. I think there are also a few fashion magazines back there too that we put in at the beginning of the week."

After thanking the man politely and mustering a half smile, Carly punched the button to lift the window back up. She really didn't feel like having to be social with anyone. She was just anxious to get to Jason. At least he had made sure that she had her favorites in the limo. Leaning forward, she opened the fridge and smiled at its contents. Along with her water, there were a couple of cartons of chocolate milk for Morgan, two bottles of orange soda for Spinelli and a six pack of their favorite beer. He had thought of their entire family, straight down to the snacks – gummy worms, barbecue chips, dark chocolate bars and dry roasted peanuts. There was something there for each of them. The back of the seat had her fashion magazines, Morgan's coloring books, one of Spinelli's science fiction novels and a few issues of the motorcycle magazine Jason regularly read.

Pushing aside the fashion magazines, Carly pulled out one of his magazines and ran her fingers over the smooth cover. It was silly to feel so connected to him just by clutching a booklet that he may or may not have held at one time or another. However, just knowing that it was, made her feel closer to him. It was the same reason she still had a faded black tee shirt tucked in her bottom drawer, a small cube of well-worn pool chalk hidden in her jewelry box and a keychain that went everywhere with her. They were traces of him in her life, little breadcrumbs that she could follow if she was ever lost and needed to return home. No one knew how she would sleep in that shirt when she was alone, falsely imagining that it still smelled like him. No one knew how she would clutch the chalk in her fist when she wanted to remember smoky nights of dancing to a Garbage song with the sexiest man she'd still ever seen. No one knew how she loved that silly key ring more than she had ever loved any wedding ring. No one knew any of those secrets, not even Jason, except her.

That fact illustrated their second point of perfection perfectly. When it came to secrets, the kind that really mattered, neither Carly nor Jason would ever let one slip past their lips. Sure, Jason wasn't really the type to let any piece of information accidentally come tumbling out, probably from the years of practice he'd had being interrogated by the Port Charles Police Department. Carly, on the other hand, was known for opening her mouth. However, she never told Jason's secrets or her own. He was the one person she knew without a doubt that she would never betray. She had done it once, and it had nearly killed her. That was one piece of idiotic Carly history that would not be repeated.

There weren't a lot of secrets between Carly and Jason. She told him everything, whether he wanted to hear it or not. He was her sounding board when she needed to work something out in her head. He was her subconscious when she needed someone to bring her back down to earth. He was her honesty when her first reaction was to lie about the situation at hand. He was her sanity when she felt like she was about to lose everything. He was her answer whenever she had a question. He was her rock whenever she felt like she was falling under.

Jason didn't keep much from her either. Only when it came to the business did he not practice full-disclosure, and that was really for her own safety. He had told her time and time again that the less she knew, the better off they both were. She respected that most of the time, but there were definitely times when she tested their boundaries. However, when it really counted, he was honest with her. Like her own betrayal, he had made that mistake once. He hadn't come clean about Jake soon enough, and it had nearly destroyed them both. She had made him promise that he would never keep the truth from her again, and he had willingly obliged. Jason had later confided that lying to her about something like that had been hell for him. He never apologized to anyone else for keeping the paternity a secret. It didn't feel like a secret anymore. The one person that he wanted to tell finally knew. No one else needed to know. No one else mattered.

Carly felt the car lurch forward, transitioning out of its tortoise pace into the normal speed as they cleared the accident and turned onto the road that led to the penthouse. Within a few minutes, the car was pulling up to the gate to be granted access. She didn't even wait for him to pull up to the front lobby to leap from moving limo. As she sprinted into the carefully guarded building, she could hear bodyguards snapping into action, calling upstairs to inform their boss of her arrival. She was escorted onto the elevator as if she was loyalty, something that was still hard for her to get used to after all these years. Sometimes she still felt like Caroline from the trailer park, not the mob princess she had grown to become.

"Good evening," Carly greeted one of the guards on Jason's floor as she stepped off the elevator. He nodded at her politely before she rounded the corner, surprised to find Jason waiting for her in his doorway. Clutching the papers tightly in her hand, she nearly dropped her back in shock. He didn't look angry or surprised to see her. In fact, he looked almost happy. She knew that she had been a mess lately, so maybe he was just glad that she was up to her usual ways. Tears almost sprung to her eyes as she thought about what had happened. The last time she had been in his penthouse was when she had caught him with Elizabeth and he had held her in his arms as she fell apart. Carly closed her eyes, willing the tears not to come and nearly choked on the inevitable sob. Taking a deep breath, she counted to ten in her head before allowing her grayish blue eyes to flutter open again. When she looked up at Jason again, he was standing before her with his arms wide open. Without thinking about it, she flew the short distance down the hall and threw herself into his inviting embrace.

"It's okay, Car," he murmured softly into her ear. "You're safe, I got you. You're home."


	3. Point Three

It wasn't a rare thing for Carly to show up at Jason's door in tears. It wasn't a rare thing for him to wrap his arms around her in an attempt to comfort her. It wasn't a rare thing for her to spill of troubles and worries and concerns within the confines of his penthouse, their sanctuary during the brightest and darkest times. It wasn't a rare thing for him to promise her that they could fix this if she would trust him. It wasn't a rare thing for her to trust him to fix it before she even showed up at his place.

The only rare thing about finding Carly outside his door on that particular evening was that he had known she was coming. He had been sensing it all day. Now that she was there, Jason could breathe a little easier. She was in tears, but she was alive. Whatever had her so distraught, he would find the solution to restore order to her world. He was used it to it, and more importantly, he was good at it. It was an easy thing for him, wanting to take care of Carly. She was complicated, confusing and courageous, but he knew those things about her. He knew what she was thinking with a single glance, often sharing some version of the same thoughts racing through his head. He liked being able to count on that. Few people would Carly consistent but she was with Jason.

It was an entirely different relationship from the one that he shared with Elizabeth, and on this particularly lonely evening, he was happy for that. It wasn't that he didn't love the wholesome mother. That had never been their problem. The issue had always been the judging look in her eyes whenever she looked at him. It was the reflexive way she recoiled whenever his voice rose an octave too high. It was the she would always stand a step behind Jason whenever someone would approach them when they were in public together. It was the way she had asked him to lie about not being a father. It was all the ways she wasn't Carly.

It was a tiring thing to be in love with two such different people. There was the woman that people close him knew that he loved, Elizabeth. She was supposed to be the one that he yearned to be with but would never have. In so many ways, she seemed untouchable to him. As many confessions of love as they had shared, they still weren't together. She would never be his completely. There would always be a barrier between them. He respected her choices as a mother, but it was harder to accept them when he thought about how they were supposed to be in love. Her words and her actions always contradicted. He could understand why that was, but she had come to him first. She was the one that kept coming back. That was the part that was a little hazy for him. Elizabeth wanted to be with him, but she was only willing to go halfway. Jason Morgan had never done anything halfway before. He could never love a woman with only half his heart. When he committed to something or someone, they got all of him. There was only one woman who had ever managed that feat, and therein laid the problem.

The other woman that Jason Morgan loved also happened to be his best friend. Everyone knew the saga that was Jason and Carly, but few understood it. Even fewer knew the truth behind the myth. Carly was the one that he had always felt like he was supposed to end up with but was always afraid to take a chance on. They were explosive together, much more dangerous that she had ever been with Sonny. Those two had always been set on destroying each other, but it had never been that way with Carly and Jason. Their dance with disaster came in that they actually had the potential to make each other happy. Neither Carly nor Jason was exactly good at being happy. They had that in common. That was the reason they had built those hearts around their walls a long time ago. That was the reason he had never let himself love someone else fully. He had loved Carly completely; he still did if he was really honest with himself. They had always been an all or nothing thing. However, even when it seemed like they had chosen nothing, Carly had never left his life. She had never once walked away with him only to come back when it was safe or convenient. She refused to leave him. He had left Port Charles from time to time, but she knew that it was never leaving her. He would never leave her.

He guessed that was the biggest difference between Elizabeth and Carly. Carly had been there first, and she would be there last. She had given him his first child, a son that lay comatose in a hospital bed in the city. He had never once thought of Michael as any less his son that Jake. They were equal in his heart. He wasn't sure that he could say the same for the two women that captivated his heart. Elizabeth might have a piece of his heart, but Carly had his soul. Even if he laughed her off when she talked about them being soulmates, he knew that it was true. He knew it from the accepting way she looked into his eyes every single time they were together. He knew it from the relentless way she would yell back at him whenever he got angry with her. He knew it from the way she would always step up to stand right by his side when they were in public, knowing that she would leap in front of him if she had to. He knew it from the way she had asked him to lie about being a father. He knew it from all the ways that she was Carly.

"What happened, Carly?" he asked patiently after he had guided her into his penthouse, shutting the door behind him for privacy from the guards. The blonde clung to him desperately as he they fell onto the sofa together in a heap, her legs swinging across his lap. Jason pulled her tightly to his body and wrapped his arms around her shivering frame. "Did something else happen with Jax?"

Carly shook her head silently as she reached up to wipe away the tears from her eyes. Jason's hand covered hers and brushed her fingers away. Rubbing the bad of his thumb down the mascara-streaked trail, his touch was gentle and reassuring. "It's not Jax. It's us," she confessed. He looked at her dumbfounded. "I mean, it's not us exactly. Ugh, I'm not making any sense."

"What's new?" Jason chuckled lightly, his tone teasing. She smiled at his gentle taunting and jabbed him softly in the ribs. "Listen, whatever has you so upset, why don't you just tell me? We can figure this out together just like you always do. I promise that I won't even yell at you if you've done something that I don't like. I just need to know what's going on. You know how much I hate seeing you like this.

Resting her cheek in his palm, Carly found the courage to tell Jason the jumble of thoughts clouding her mind. "I guess it all started when I saw Jax eating dinner with Leyla Mir at the Metrocourt. I knew that our marriage was over, but I couldn't believe that he had moved on so fast," she recounted. "One minute I was refusing to take part in Spinelli and Maxie's latest scheme to get me to agree to online dating and the next minute, I would have done whatever they asked if it meant getting back at that man."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Jason apologized sheepishly. He kept his left hand tightly in Carly's and reached up with his free hand to brush his fingertips through his hair. "I kind of walked in on them posting your profile online. I told them that I didn't think that it was a good idea and made Spinelli promise that he would ask your permission before pursuing it any further."

"Well, they didn't exactly listen to you," she retorted soberly. Jason fixed his lips into a tight grimace, clearly displeased that Maxie had convinced the computer hacker not to listen to his orders. Carly nearly laughed out loud, wondering if Sonny had looked the same way when she would convince Jason to do something disobedient. "It's okay, Jase. I actually appreciate that Spinelli cares so much to want to see me happy. I'm sure that he is doing it partly for you."

"He knows that you are our family," Jason pointed out, noting that she was starting to look more relaxed. Still, she hadn't moved away from him like she usually would when he was finished comforting her. In fact, Carly looked completely at home sprawled out over his lap. "So, what happened next?"

"Well, they started going through my potential suitors. You should have heard about some of these guys, Jase. One of my matches was actually into competitive ping pong. Can you imagine me dating someone like that?" she giggled. "Yet, that wasn't even the worst of it. This dating site actually tried to pair me with Scott Baldwin or Scottie the Hottie as he is known online."

"Scottie the Hottie?" Jason repeated. A look of disgust washed over his face as he thought about his best friend in that slime's arms. Carly would eat him alive, and if she didn't, Jason would make sure that the lions did. There was no way that guy was good enough for her, not even close. Then again, no one was good enough for Carly. "Well, at least you had the sense not to pursue that one. The next time I tell you that you have absolutely no sense of judgment, remind me of this moment."

Carly giggled again. "Oh, trust me, I will," she pledged. Jason had always loved how she could laugh and cry in the same sentence. It only took two minutes for her entire mood to change completely. "Anyhow, there were a couple that might have been promising, but I could find something wrong with every one of them. Well, all of them except one…"

Jason felt his heart sink immediately. Until now, he didn't realize how much he had been hoping that Carly would tell him that it had all been a disaster. He wanted her to be happy, he just wasn't sure that he wanted her to be happy with someone else. At least with Jax and Sonny, he had always known that it was only temporary. He could see the demise of those relationships almost before they even started. However, this stranger proposed an unknown variable, and Jason didn't do too well with abstracts. He liked tangible things that he could clearly define. "Who was he?"

"You."

Silence settled into the penthouse as she looked up at him with those big blue eyes, a million questions evident in her gaze. Jason took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He had explicitly told Spinelli and Maxie not to sign him up for that site. He had enough problems in his romantic life, and the last thing he needed was those two tangling it even more. "Me?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "That's not possible."

"Well, Jase, I didn't realize that you thought we were so incompatible," she retorted hotly, dragging her legs from his lap to retreat to the opposite end of the sofa.

Jason pursued her, sliding down to sit next to her. "That's not what I think at all, Car," he replied, laying his hand cautiously over hers. "I just meant that I told them not to sign me up for that website. It's not me, you know that. I highly doubt that I am going to find a woman that can handle my lifestyle on some random dating site. I have a hard enough time finding that in everyday life. The only person that ever came close even was Sam, and look at what a disaster that was."

She nodded thoughtfully as she leaned her head on Jason's shoulder, silently wondering why he hadn't used her as the example. She could handle his life. She had walked into it willingly, gladly, twelve years ago. "We matched in twenty-four of the twenty-five areas," she told him, reaching into her jacket pocket to show him the paper. "We're almost perfect for each other according to this paper, Jase. What do you make of that?"

"I think that this paper just tells me the same thing you've been telling me for years," he pointed out. "I didn't need them to sign me up for a dating site when I already have you telling me that."

"For one minute, do you think you could quit thinking about how mad you are and focus on what I am trying to tell you?" she pleaded exasperatedly. "I know you're angry that Spinelli went against you. He was just trying to impress Maxie. I've seen you do the same thing before. You did for me once."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Jason turned to her in disagreement. "I don't do anything to impress people, Carly. You know that I'm not built like that. In fact, since when do I even care what other people think?"

"You don't care what other people think," she conceded. "You care what I think."

"Yeah, well…" he didn't really have an argument for that. She was right, but he would never admit it. He would never hear the end of it if he did. "Anyhow, that's not really the point you were trying to make. What are you trying to tell me?"

"I don't know how to do this."

Jason grunted in frustration as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just tell me, Carly. It's pretty easy."

"No, that's not what I meant."

"What do you mean then?"

Carly looked down at her hands and contemplated whether she should say those words. Once they were out there, she couldn't take them back. She wouldn't be able to go back to before this moment when everything between them was well-defined and she knew what they meant to each other. It was a risk, a huge one, but one that she knew that she had to take. She had never lived her life safe, why start now? "I don't know how to be just your best friend when everything else says that we should be more."


	4. Point Four

Neither of them said anything for several minutes, both too afraid to be the first one to utter a word. Jason was still in shock from Carly's confession, wondering if it was just another instance of her blurting out the first thing that happened to fall into her head. Carly was embarrassed that she had finally professed how she felt about Jason, trying to figure out if there was any way she could play it off without it getting any more awkward. His silence only left her feeling more afraid. What had she just done?

Jason stood up quickly, wanting to put as much distance between himself and Carly. He had had this conversation with her a million times in his head, but now that she was finally saying these words to him, he just wanted to be alone. Over the past few years, he had gotten really good at pretending. He could separate himself from situations that were too hard for him. He had never been one to deal with his emotions, so it seemed like a perfect way out. Without having to live in reality, he didn't have to acknowledge the sadness of living without his son. He didn't have to confront the emptiness of his bed on all those nights alone. He didn't have to admit the loneliness of not feeling good enough for Elizabeth. He didn't have to live the bittersweetness of seeing his best friend in the arms of other men. In his version of reality, none of this existed. It was the only way it couldn't hurt him.

Carly was very much the opposite of him in that way. She lived her life at full blast, never ceasing to go after whatever she wants with everything she has. Her life centered very much on the here and now, in the life that she wanted for herself. She would use anything she could grasp on to get there – lies, deception, anger, pain, sex, love, hatred. Nothing was off limits. She rarely even thought of who would get hurt or who she would have to betray to get it. Other than her children and Jason, there wasn't a single person who was immune to her wrath. She reveled in the emotion of living. She needed to feel to know that she was alive.

It used to drive Jason crazy how she would try to convince him to talk about his feelings, but now he almost welcomed it. They were kind of perfect for each other in that way. It was the one time anyone really forced him to be honest. People always thought that he was incapable of lies, but they had no idea the deceptions he had told himself. He wasn't even sure that he fully understood it most of the time. It'd just become easy over time to say that he didn't miss Michael. He didn't miss the family he had built with Carly. He didn't hate Elizabeth for keeping Jake away from him. He didn't hate Sonny for what he had done the night of the Nurse's Ball too many years ago. He didn't blame anyone for what had happened in his life. He didn't love Carly.

"Carly, come on, you know that I can't go there," he told her wearily as he turned away. Brushing his hand over his face, he could only hope that the simple gesture would wipe away the emotions so evident in his features. He knew that if even a hint of how he was feeling remained in his eyes, she would know instantly. "I just don't think of us like that anymore. It's been too long. Too much has changed."

Trying to fight back the tears, Carly drew her knees up to her chin. She looked like a lost little girl curled up in the corner of his sofa. "I know that you have an imagination. You could think about it if you would only let yourself," she argued quietly. He didn't turn around to look at her. "I know that you love me, Jase. Maybe not like I mean but you did once. If it happened then, couldn't it happen again?"

He stepped further away from her as he walked toward the window. The lights of the harbor danced across the sparkling water below, beckoning him as they so often did when he wanted to clear his head. There were three moments of his life that Jason never wanted to relive. He didn't want to remember what it was like holding Emily's lifeless body on the ballroom floor at Wyndamere. He didn't want to remember how it felt when Elizabeth told him that she wanted to continue the lie of Lucky being Jake's father. Most of all, he didn't want to remember seeing Carly come down the stairs in Sonny's shirt and feel what it was like when he knew that it was over.

"You know why it can't happen again," he warned desperately, wishing for once that she wasn't here. He wanted her anywhere that wasn't with him. Then, she couldn't force him to confront what he only wanted to hide. Closing his eyes, he tried to drown out images of her that morning. He hated that shirt, but even as much as he hated it, she had still looked beautiful. That was the moment he had known that he would never fully get over her. "You're my best friend, Car. I don't want to lose that."

She let her legs fall to the floor with a soft thud before she stood up. Crossing the room, she wrapped her arms around his toned torso from behind and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I would never let that happen," she promised him. He lifted his hands to clutch hers against his chest, pressing her palm flat against his racing heart. "You and Morgan are my whole family now, Jase. The three of us, it's all that is left. You are without a doubt the best friend I have ever had. Our friendship is incredible. Can you imagine how amazing the two of us would be together?"

"No, I can't," he retorted shortly. Sure, he could, but he could also see the flashing warning lights of impending disaster. "When I think about us together, that's just not what I see. I see the fights that we would have, how you would become angry with me over time like you did with Sonny. I don't ever want you to hate me the way you hate him. I can see the lies you would tell me when you think you are protecting me. I can see the heartbreak in your eyes when I walk out the door and can't tell you why. I can see your lifeless body in my arms for standing just a little too close to me. It's just not worth it, Carly. Not everything is worth the risk."

Carly could take a lot of things, but she couldn't take this. "I am not Elizabeth. I don't need you to protect me from you!" she shouted, pushing hard against his back before she whirled away. "I hate that self-righteous woman for a lot of reasons, but this the biggest of them all. She made you believe that you weren't safe to love, that you weren't worthy of being a husband and father. You used to believe. You believed when you were with me."

He could hear the way her voice cracked as she walked over to his pool table. He listened to the familiar sounds of her racking the balls followed by an echo of a good break. She kept her cue here for those restless nights when they'd drink bottled beer and play for hours without saying a single word. "And then Michael got shot," he said finally. "Our little boy was standing too close to Sonny, and a bullet hit him. We lost our son. You won't let Morgan be in the same room as either one of us. I don't blame you for that, I never did. In fact, it's the only way I can justify not being able to see my own child. I won't risk adding you to that list."

"It's my risk to take. I knew what I was getting myself into then, and I know what I am doing now. I'm not worried about getting hurt, Jase. You would never let what happened to Michael happen to Morgan, Jake or me," she assured him confidently. "I am not scared about living in your world. The only thing that scares me is that you'll never take this chance."

Finally, he dragged his eyes away from the waters to look at her. She was leaning against the pool table gingerly with her cue as a crutch. "What about the rest?"

"There's nothing else. I will have an answer for everything you throw my way. I don't need to know what's going on with the business. I've lived the mob life long enough to know how it works. I wish I could promise that I won't lie, but we both know I would do anything I had to do to protect us. I can deal with Sonny and Elizabeth and all the other people who will have a problem with us being together. I will help you fight for your son, whatever you want. Most of all, I will never hate you the way that I hate Sonny. You would never put me through what he has. I know no matter how bad it got between us, you will always love me. That's the difference."

He wanted to believe her. To live in a world where he could be with Carly without any complications was all that he had thought about over the past decade. However, history had taught him better. Carly always got in her own way when she was finally happy, dragging everyone else down with her. He just shut down when everything felt perfect because that was when he knew things were about to fall apart. "It's not that I don't love you. You know how much you mean to me. Your friendship has been the one relationship I could count on this past year," he acknowledged. "I just don't love you like that, Carly. I'm sorry."

He heard the hollow echo of her cue stick hitting the wood floor followed by her footsteps rapidly heading for the door. He waited for her to open the door but that sound never came. When he finally found the courage to look up at her, she was standing so still that she looked like she was frozen in time. Her head was bent over to her chest, her palm flat against the door, her hair covering her face. Even from across the room, he could see the tears falling from her cheek onto the rug below. Finally, her strained voice mumbled something. "You just lied to me."

"No, I didn't," he insisted immediately, his voice sounding a little harsher than he had intended. He was finally feeling strong enough to keep up his resolve and now she was challenging him. He knew that he felt unjustifiably angry, but he wasn't sure how else to feel. "That is how I feel. I'm sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth. We're just friends."

"Dammit, Jason!" she yelled, her fist pounding against the door in frustration. He recoiled at the sound of her skin bouncing off the wood. She turned back around and strode toward him in a matter of steps. Standing toe to toe with him, she glared at him angrily. "When you told me the truth about Jake, you promised me that you would never lie to me again. You said that there wouldn't be any secrets between us, and I believed you. I just didn't know that I was the secret you were keeping."

Jason suddenly felt so tired and the slightly onset of a migraine vibrated in the back of his head, two sure signs that Carly had been around. "I am not going to stand here and argue with you when there is really no point. Things between us are the way they are meant to be, Carly. I don't care what that computer printout says," he sighed. "I don't want to have to tell you again. Do you understand what I'm getting at?"

He wasn't used to the wrath of Carly being directed at him. She might get angry at him and go on one of her tirades, but they never lasted too long. He usually didn't even have anything to do with it. He didn't really know how to react or how to make it right. He could only reach out and offer her his hand. Carly looked at him aghast and pulled back slightly. "I wanted you to know what I thought, Jase. I have made a lot of mistakes, we both know that. I am sorry for what I've done…or maybe I'm not. How can I be when it brought us here?" she wondered aloud. "We aren't who we were ten years ago when I broke your heart. That's the thing you're not saying here. You're afraid I am going to do that again. I can't say that I blame you. I'd be cautious if I were you, too."

"The thing is, though, I've already done the self-destructive thing with you. It didn't work out so well for either of us, did it? In fact, it almost ruined us completely," she continued. "We've grown up so much from those people. I think it's good that we had this time apart. It made me appreciate you more. Maybe we fit together better this way, I don't know. The only thing I do know is that I want to leap now and ask questions later. I want to spend every day of the rest of our lives trying to make up all my past sins to you. I'm not really sure I know how to dot hat, but with you by my side, I know we'll figure it out. With you, I can do anything. We're invincible."

There were so many things Jason wished he could say. There were still a million reasons they couldn't be together. He wished that he could tell her that he loved her despite all the concerns swelling in his heart. He wished that he could say aloud that he wanted to be with her. He wished that he wasn't even a little bit scared. He wished he could tell her everything that he wanted to tell her and everything that she deserved to hear. He couldn't, though. He had never been good with words, that was more her thing. Instead, he had always found a way to show her. A touch, a look, a gift, a kiss…

And just like that, he was kissing her.


	5. Point Five

When Jason's lips found their ways to Carly's, she felt all breath leave her very willing body. It had been years since he had kissed her like this – without abandon or apology, as if she had been created just for him to take. He was greedy with her mouth, devouring her gluttonously just as she had dreamt of all those nights since he had last truly been hers. For years, she had sat impatiently on the sidelines as he kept her at arm's length. She had endured through Courtney, Sam and Elizabeth knowing that someday she would finally be able to encompass his heart completely. She had always hoped that he would hold her like this, touch her like this, feel her like this, complete her like this. Now that it was finally happening, she didn't feel any of the emotions she thought she would feel. She felt so much more.

Confusion clashed with desire in her mind as her fingers trailed their way up his neck and into the wispy blonde hairs at the nape of his neck. She tilted her head slightly as Jason deepened the kiss, his tongue running along her bottom lip begging for permission to enter. Carly parted her lips slightly as his tongue darted between her teeth, scraping deliciously over the white enamel surface. His hands had drifted down her back to rest on her hips, his sizable hands spanning her small waist. Somewhere from the back of his throat, she felt a telling moan rumble into her mouth. Her arms entwined around his neck to pull him closer to her. Suddenly, Jason snapped his mouth shut and let go over her. She felt violently empty as he pulled away, covering his face as he disappeared into the kitchen. A minute later, she heard the familiar echo of his fist pounding against the wall.

Carly took a deep breath and headed toward the kitchen, unsure of what she would find once she stepped into the small room. A part of her was so angry that he had pulled away from her like he had, but another part of her was concerned by his reaction. She had seen him play this game too many times with other women, especially Elizabeth, but he had never played it with her. She knew immediately that he was scared and hated himself for what he had just done. He had given into temptation, and that was no small feat for Jason Morgan. When she came into the kitchen, she was surprised to find him huddled on the floor, his back against the refrigerator with a chilled bottle of beer clutched in his fists. Her heels clicked across the tile as she came over to sit beside him. Taking the beer from him, she allowed a long sip before handing the bottle back over. He followed suit and swallowed greedily.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said finally, his eyes unwilling to meet hers. He knew that if he looked into her eyes, he would give in just as he had in the living room. He would forget all his logical reasons for keeping Carly as his friend. He would allow himself to feel those emotions that had been so strong just a few minutes ago, the nagging ones gnawing at him now with her so near to him. "I meant what I said, we're better off as friends. We can't do this. I'm sorry for kissing you."

She turned to him, fire burning in her features. "Do not apologize to me," she demanded in a soft voice, each word punctuated for emphasis. "I could take it if you were sorry for making me feel awful by pulling away or if you hated yourself for making me feel this way. I just won't listen to you apologize for finally acting on how you feel. You wanted to do that, Jase. I felt the spark. You can't pretend that it wasn't there. Don't apologize for kissing me when it's the best thing you could have done for me. I felt numb and dead after Jax left me. Being with you, it's always made me feel so alive."

How could he tell her that she was the one who had resurrected him more times than he could count? She had been the one constant in a life so full of loss and heartbreak. There were so many nights spent with her at his bedside at General Hospital, sitting across from her at Jake's, holding her hand on the couch in this penthouse, listening to her cry or laugh at her cottage. Their lives were so entwined that he could hardly define where he ended and she began. She was the one person who never stopped believing in him, even when he lied about Jake. She always gave herself to him so willingly, from the time she gave him the incredible gift of being Michael's father to giving her heart to him in the next room just a few minutes ago. And how did he repay her? He broke her heart over and over again

"I didn't mean it like that, Car," he conceded vulnerably as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Even if he couldn't hold her like she deserved, he felt the need to touch her. She sighed happily as she laid her head on his shoulder. This was a way that that they felt perfect for each other. She had always fit into his body in all the right places. "I don't know what I meant. It was so clear to me five minutes ago, but then you looked up at me. I forgot every reason I had. I just don't want to hurt you all over again."

"We both know that I'm the one who hurt you last time. I never blamed you for what I did, Jase. I've always said that it was my fault. I just want to make it up to you. If you really don't want to be with me, if this is too hard, if you don't love me, I will accept it. I just need for you to say those words," she attempted to explain. Jason hated the desperation in her voice. It killed him to know that he had put it there. "Just tell me what you want. Don't tell me what you think you should do. Tell me what your heart is telling you. Be honest with me. I promise that I won't fight you if you tell me the truth."

Closing his eyes, Jason tried to imagine the last time he had allowed himself to really think about the life he had missed with Carly. He had always told her that he didn't deal with the what ifs, he chose to live in reality. However, there had been brief moments in the past when their lives had been on the line when he had given into the ghosts of regret that haunted him. "Do you remember the night of the hotel fire?" he asked. Carly nodded. How could she forget that night? It had changed everything. "Most of that night was a blur to me. I knew that Courtney was trapped in there, and I was so concerned with trying to get her out until I found out that you were still in the hotel. When I found out that you and Sonny had become separated, my entire mission changed. Without even thinking about it, I knew that I had to find you. I had to make sure that you came home to our son. I didn't want to have to tell Michael that I had let you both down, but more than that, I didn't want to have to wake up a single morning without you in my world."

She was surprised by his candor of that night. Surviving the fire had rocked all their worlds. She had been so scared that she was going to die until Jason had found her. Only then did she make peace with her fate. "I told myself that if I wasn't going to walk out of that hotel alive, at least I would be with the one man that had always loved me," she remembered. "I think it was the only way I could accept leaving the boys alone. It seems stupid now because I would have wanted you to take care of them if I died, but at that time, I could only think about how I wasn't going to die alone."

"It's one of the few times I've ever really felt scared that I was going to die. I've been shot how many times? I nearly lost my life to a terminal brain disease, and yet, it took that towering inferno to make me feel weak," he laughed humorlessly. "I wasn't scared for myself, though. I was scared for you. I literally walked through fire to save you and when I wasn't sure that I could, I was scared that you had put your trust in the wrong man. Never once before had I doubted your choice until that moment."

"See, that's when I was the most certain that my choice was right," she retorted. "You kissed me that night and I almost didn't care if I walked out of there. I knew that it would nothing be anything more but for one brief moment, everything felt perfect. Even in the middle of a fire, you made me feel… I can't even describe it, Jase. I know that I don't need to. You felt it, too. When I asked you to kiss me goodbye, I wasn't sure if we were going to die. Either way, I knew that we were kissing something goodbye – the chances of being together, a past that we never fully lived, our lives as we knew it."

He reached up timidly and traced his thumb over her cheek, just as he had that night when he had smoothed away the ash and soot from her skin. She had that same sad smile on her face. "I am scared, Carly," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I told myself that night that I would never let myself feel these things again. I promised them that I would bury everything deep in my heart because it just couldn't happen. We couldn't do that to Sonny or put the boys through it. There was always something standing in the way, but now, it's just you and me. The road is wide open for us to be together. All of my feelings are coming crashing back to me all at once. For someone who pretends to feel so little, it scares the hell out of me."

"You always tell me how strong and brave I am, Jase, but did you ever think how I got that way?" she questioned. "Yeah, I have survived a lot in my life. I went through things back in Florida before I even came to Port Charles, but it doesn't even begin to compare to what I've been through here. There have been times when I didn't think I could go on, but then you would come along and believe in me. You have been my strength. You have been the one thing that kept me from being afraid. You say that you're scared, but so am I. I just know that if I keep looking at you, I'm always going to be safe."

Closing his eyes, Jason pressed his forehead against hers. He lavished in the soft tickle of her eyelashes as her own eyes fluttered shut. "Your faith in me is amazing," he murmured. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to open my heart back up to you. I want to, I have to…I won't be the one standing in our way this time. I'm just not sure how this is supposed to go."

"Neither do I, Jase," she confessed as she slipped her hand in his. "The good thing is that we can figure this out together. It doesn't all have to happen at once. We don't have to let the entire world in on our secret. We can take it slowly, day by day. I don't expect you to have all the answers right now. I sure as hell don't. I just want you to be open to trying to do this with me. If we are in this together, I know we'll find a way to make it work. You tried to stop loving me more than once, and it never worked. Stop fighting your feelings and start fighting for me. The win will be so much greater."

"You talk too much," he mused. With his forehead still planted against hers, Jason framed her face in his hands and pressed his lips to her tentatively again. Unlike their first kiss that had been so filled with yearning and desire, this one was a kiss of faith and reassurance. It was the answer to a question, a closing to a prayer.

Carly was the one to end the kiss this time. Her lips curled up into a smile against his mouth as they stayed connected. "You always say that," she whispered back before kissing him softly again. "Tell me, Jase. Say the words."

Jason pulled away slightly and turned his body. Taking her hands into his, he rested their clasped fingers against his thigh so that he could command her full attention. Her eyes were foggy as she gazed up at him. He would have given her anything that she asked of him, but she wanted only one thing. She wanted the truth. "I love you, Caroline. I always have, I always will."


	6. Point Six

It had taken twelve years, six marriages, two children, two miscarriages and countless sleepless nights for Carly to finally say the words aloud that carried her through her days. It didn't matter if she was sitting front row at Fashion Week in New York next to the illustrious and mysterious Sonny Corinthos. It didn't matter if she was sitting wrapped in the arms of Jasper Jacks aboard his private jet as they headed to Fiji. It didn't matter if she was sitting at the head of a table at the latest PTA meeting at Morgan's school. Wherever she was, whatever she was going through, those three words were all that she needed to get her through the day.

Loving Jason Morgan had gotten Carly through being kidnapped and shot. It had sustained her through two mental break downs and losing her child. Their love had been her sole comfort in the aftermath of a train collision and a horrible car crash. It had protected her during a hostage situation and a horrific fire at two separate hotels. Love had rescued her from drowning at the piers or dying during the virus epidemic. Having Jason in her life had literally saved her over and over again. She had always said that he was her saving grace, but the proof truly was there in the numbers. They had been to hell and back together, and now, they were standing on the doorstep of something entirely new. As she held his hand tightly on the floor of his dim kitchen, she couldn't wait for the next phase of their lives to begin.

"This isn't going to be easy, you know," he murmured softly, leaning his head on top of hers. Both of them knew that his statement was true, but that didn't make the situation any easier. There were so many things that they needed to discuss that Carly only wanted to discuss. As long as he didn't say the words, she could act as if there were no problems between them. She could pretend that life was perfect. "We have a lot of things to work out, Car. I don't even know how to begin to do that."

Cocking her head slightly so that she could meet his eye line, she wanted to tell him that she had all the answers. She wanted her love to be enough to ease all of his fears. However, she understood that loving her was what made him feel so scared. It wasn't just the fact that this was a monumental shift in their relationship. They both knew the implications of being together. He could lose his best friend, and she could lose her life. There were always risks in any relationship, but the ones that existed between them sometimes felt insurmountable. "We'll figure out a way to work it out, Jase," she promised. "We don't have to have all the answers now. Let's take it day by day and deal with things as they come."

Carly could live minute by minute, but Jason liked to plan. He preferred logic over instinct, reality over fantasy. Where he could only see what existed, she could imagine what could be. Between the two of them, they had always managed to come up with the full picture. He didn't always like the distorted view of life through her eyes, but it was never boring. She certainly preferred the excitement of her perceptions but appreciated the balance he brought to her world. "The first thing I want to do is tell Sonny," he told her. She groaned immediately, knowing that was a battle that neither of them wanted to have. In his own distorted sense of reality, Carly knew that Sonny would see this as betrayal. "He is going to find out from someone, and I want him to hear it from me. After all of this, it's the right thing to do. I found out about the two of you the hard way. I will not put him through the same thing."

She couldn't believe after everything they had been through that Jason would still feel any loyalty toward Sonny. Carly had lost it the moment she had stared through a double-paned glass window at General Hospital and finally accepted that her son might never wake up. Jason had been by her side then, holding her up when all she wanted to do was collapse. It was hard to imagine ever feeling that same sense of duty to her ex-husband after that night, but Jason still did. She knew that he a lot of who he was to that man, and that was both a blessing and a curse. "I trust you to do whatever is right for us, Jase. If we need to tell Sonny, we'll tell him. I just don't want you to do this alone. We are in it together, and I want to tell him together."

He wanted to save her from the ugly scene that would surely ensue once his former boss was made aware of their changed situation. No matter how long it had been since Carly had been in love with him or how much Sonny claimed to love Kate Howard, he would still see their relationship as betrayal. A loyal person to the core, Jason knew that would hurt him, but he wasn't willing to let Carly go this time. "I stepped aside once for Sonny. I won't make that same mistake again," he promised her aloud. She looked up at him with wide eyes of wonder, unsure of where those words had come from. "You know how everyone always assumes that I am the way I am because of Sonny?" She nodded. She had heard both men say those words more than once over the years. "Well, that's only partly true. I mean, Sonny helped me a lot in the beginning when I didn't know who I was, but that only helped me figure out certain parts of who I was to become. You helped me with the rest. You made me a father, a best friend, a confidant, a soulmate. I give you credit for a lot of who I became, I blame you for parts of it, too."

"As long as I get some credit for the good, I suppose I can take some of the blame for the bad," she smiled agreeably. There wasn't too much bad in Jason Morgan than she could see. She had lived through his dark side, but that didn't scare her. It empowered her in a way because she knew that she would always have it on her side. That protective streak that brought out the fire in his otherwise icy azure eyes was reserved strictly for her. "We'll have to tell some other people. Morgan, my mom and Spinelli, of course, maybe your family. I suppose I will have to have a conversation with Jax."

If Carly were another woman, Jason might worry about her speaking with her soon-to-be ex-husband about a new relationship. Another woman might be charmed by the Aussie's promises or his need to win her back. However, he knew Carly wouldn't see that. When she was like this, completely enraptured in someone, she was blind to everything else. The hazy look of love and lust in her eyes now promised him that. "We'll tell Morgan and Spinelli before anyone," he decided. They were the people that Jason and Carly shared their daily lives with. They were the people that were there every single day. "I should probably tell Monica at least. She'll tell the rest of the family what little they need to know. I'll let you handle Jax and Bobbie. Hopefully at least one of them will be happy for us."

"You know that my mom adores you," she smirked as she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Jason reveled in the feeling of her doing something as simple as holding him. He had missed this without fully realizing how much. However, there was something slightly off about her. There was an unspoken question on her lips. Tilting his head to the side, he looked at her intently, willing her to ask it. She understood immediately what he was asking of her without even needing to hear the words. "Elizabeth." She exhaled loudly as the single name escaped past her lips. "You have to tell her."

Slowly, Jason took her hands from behind his neck and held them together in her lap. "I am going to tell Elizabeth everything," he vowed. She believed him the minute the words came out. "Carly, it's over with her. I'm not sure how much it really ever started. All of the things you said about her tonight were true. She'll always be apart of my life because she is the mother of my child. It's not the way I planned it, but it happened. I know it's not what you would want, but I can't regret Jake. You wouldn't want me to. But despite all of this stuff between her and me, I can't be with her. I could never love her the way that she needs to be loved. At best, she'd only ever have half of me. The rest of my heart would always be with you."

"Jase," she cooed femininely, slightly taken aback by his bold admission. She knew that tonight was a gift and that it was hard for him to open himself up like this to anyone. "As much as I don't like little Lizzy, you're right, I would never want you to regret your son. I love him because he is half of you. I won't pretend that I like that she'll always be apart of our lives, even if it's just on the periphery. I guess when it comes down to it, I envy her in a way. You know that I had to admit that I'm jealous of any woman, especially her, but I am."

He brought their clasped hands up to his lips and gently kissed each knuckle. He understood what she was saying without a full explanation. Carly hated that Elizabeth had given him the one thing she hadn't – a child. In fact, the chances of them ever having a child together given her past history were slim to none. He had thought about it a lot once he had found out that Jake was his son. Jake represented the one thing that Carly wanted more than anything. She could love him completely with her mind, body, heart and soul, but she might never be able to give him a little boy or girl that was half Spencer spitfire and half Morgan tranquility.

"We'll have our chance, Car," he promised, "and even if it doesn't work like we want it to, we already have three beautiful sons. My life is full and complete. I will get to wake up every morning to you and Morgan. I will always be a father to Michael and Jake. We have Spinelli. It's more than what most people get."

Her eyes fluttered shut as an earnest smile played across her lips as she sighed softly. "Few people would testify to the validity of what I am about to say, but you are such an optimist sometimes," she grinned. It was nice to see hope shining in his eyes when his gaze had been so filled with defeat lately. She knew that the last year had taken a toll on Jason as much as it had on her. They'd both had more unhappy days than happy ones.

"I just want to make you happy, that's all I want," Jason murmured into her hair. Everything between them was so complicated, but this was thing was simple. Her happiness was everything to him. His happiness was everything to her. Most of the time, they weren't mutually exclusive. How she felt often dictated how he felt. His emotions often defined hers. "I'm going to make you happy. I promise you that, we will be happy."

"I already am," she whispered as she drew his face down to hers. Azure crashed with cobalt as they studied each other from such a close proximity. His fingers trailed lazily through the blonde ringlets framing her sunkissed face. "Being here with you like this, it's all I could ever ask for. Loving you and being loved by you, that's my happiness. I love you."

It had taken twelve years, two marriages, a son, the loss of a daughter that wasn't his and countless sleepless nights for Jason to finally say the words aloud that carried him through his days. It didn't matter if he was staring down the barrel of a gun aimed at a nameless Russian mobster. It didn't matter if he was dancing in the rain in an outdoor Italian piazza with Sam McCall. It didn't matter if he was watching Elizabeth Webber hold his son as she looked up at him with adoring eyes. Wherever he was, whatever he was going through, those three words from her were all that he needed to get him through the day.

Loving Carly Benson (because that was who she would always be to him) had gotten Jason through being shot more than once. It had sustained him through watching another man raise his son and losing a daughter that was never his to start with. Their love had been his sole comfort in the aftermath of numerous nights in jail and the long battle with his brain disorder. It had driven him during a hostage situation and a horrific fire at two separate hotels. Love had comforted him during his hand surgery and all those nights when the entire city was engulfed with the virus. Living for Carly had literally saved him over and over again. He had always said that he would catch her if she fell, but they were always right there beside each other – falling together and then getting back up hand-in-hand, just a little stronger than they were before. They had just fallen one more time, and now, they were on the brink of finding a new strength that had always eluded them. As he kissed her with everything that he had on the floor of his dim kitchen, he couldn't wait for the next phase of their life together to begin.

"I love you, too."


	7. Point Seven

The cool October breeze whipped around Carly's face as she sat beneath the pale glow of the porch light. It had taken all of her strength to drag herself from the kitchen floor and Jason's arms to finally come home. The last thing she had wanted to do was leave the safety of his apartment where everything felt so sure to face the uncertainty of the rest of the world. However, it didn't really matter what she wanted. She was still a mother first and foremost, and Morgan was her top priority. Once she had accepted that her marriage to Jax was over, she recommitted herself fully to the most important role in her life. She promised him and herself that she would be home every single night. He was probably already in bed now, but she felt better knowing that she would be home at least if he woke up in the middle of the night.

Her bare legs prickled with goose bumps as they hugged the back of Jason's motorcycle tightly. They had been sitting quietly in her driveway for ten minutes now, neither one of them quite brave enough to make the first move. Once her feel hit the ground, she would become Morgan's mother again. As long as she was on this bike, she could pretend that they were the only two people in the world. However, as soon as her heels hit the pavement, what they wanted suddenly became second to what he needed. They were unified in that. There was nothing more important than the boys, this family.

"I need to go in," she murmured as she pressed her chin to his shoulder. Jason nodded silently before turning slightly to look back at her. Sadness was apparent in his blue eyes, somehow managing to shine brighter than all the unspoken questions resting on the tip of his tongue. "Morgan should be in bed now, but I should probably check on him. Mercedes was supposed to have tonight off. She only stayed as a favor to me."

He nodded again, this time more understandingly. With one swift movement, he was off the motorcycle, offering his hand to her. She grinned at him saucily as she swung one leg over the bike and jumped off on her own. He had always loved how independent she was. She liked to pretend to the world that she didn't need anyone. He loved knowing that she would always need him. "You have no idea how hard it was letting you walk out of the penthouse," he murmured as he walked her part way up the sidewalk He spotted one of her guards out of the corner of his eye. Even after all his years in the business, a part of him had never gotten used to never truly being alone. "I guess we have time."

Reaching up, Carly framed his chiseled face in her hands and smiled. She loved knowing that he wanted her. After they had hid it and denied it for so long, it was nice to have total honesty between the two of them. She had missed being with him like that. "We have all the time in the world together, Jase," she promised. "As long as you want to be with me, you know that I will be right there by your side. Hell, I've been there a lot of times when you didn't want me there. In case you haven't figured it out yet, you're kind of stuck with me."

"Promise?" he whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers. His fingers reached up to tangle in her blonde curls. He felt her body shiver involuntarily against his at the simple touch of his fingertips on her skin. She wrapped her arms around him and murmured back her promise that she would never leave him. For the first time in a long time, the prospect of a future with a woman didn't scare him. He wasn't worried about losing her. He just wanted to love her in that moment. The rest would come later.

Reluctantly, Jason disentangled himself from her and turned to look inside her cozy cottage. Carly followed his gaze to the living room where Mercedes sat on the couch with a sleeping Morgan in her lap. She immediately registered the pain and confusion emanating from Jason. There were still so many details she had to work out. How could she justify keeping Morgan away from Sonny but not Jason? She knew that she couldn't. She also couldn't justify exposing her son to this life. "I wish it was a year ago."

He turned to her suddenly, slightly caught off guard by her comment. She had never been one to want to live in the past or to have regrets. "Maybe it wouldn't have changed anything," he suggested. "Maybe it would have changed everything. Maybe this would have never happened, Car. You can't wish for anything other than what it is. I mean, I would have loved for this to have happened a year ago, but it didn't. It's happening now. I wish that our son was with us more than anything, but he's not. I know it sounds harsh, but I want us to live in the reality of here and now. Right now, in this moment, I get to be with you. That's almost everything I have ever wanted."

"Me too," she whispered softly, allowing him to envelope her in his arms. Part of her felt like crying. There would always be something missing, but Jason was right. All they had was this moment. "I want us to be a family, Jase. It might not be perfect but it's ours. You, Morgan, Spinelli and me, we could be happy. I know that we'll always be missing two of our boys, but we have a lot more than other people."

Laying a kiss on top of her head, Jason pulled back slightly to search her eyes. He would have given her the world if she had asked for it with a comment like that. She wanted to give him the one thing that he wanted more than anything but had never been able to fully have – a family. "We are a family, Carly," he avowed. "Stone Cold, the Valkyrie, the Jackal and the youngest spawn of Mister Sir, that is our family."

She couldn't help but laugh at his uncharacteristic attempt at Spinelli speak. Just as she was about to tease him relentlessly, his cell phone buzzed from inside the pocket of his leather coat. Rolling her eyes, she moved out of his embrace to let him tend to business. She knew him well enough to know that he had to answer it. How many times had she been the one calling on the other end, interrupting his life? She watched him pull the phone out and look at the screen. His brow furrowed as he answered it. "Hey, what do you need?"

On the other end of the line, Elizabeth took a deep breath. She had had a long day at the hospital and had come home to find Sam and Lucky playing house with her sons. As much as she pretended to be okay with their relationship now, it still hurt her to see him with that woman. She just wanted to be with Jason tonight and have him make her feel whole again. "I need to see you," she pleaded softly, her voice deep and intimate. "Can you meet me at my studio?"

"Is it Jake?" he asked as he slid his free arm around Carly's waist and pulled her to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and tried her best not to listen in on his conversation. She had tensed up slightly when he had asked about his son, knowing full well that it was Elizabeth. However, any doubt in her mind was gone when he had drawn her into his arm. He was where he wanted to be.

"No, it's about us," Elizabeth told him over the telephone. She felt more disconnected from him tonight than she had in recent weeks. Something had definitely shifted, but she figured it had to do with business. It was always business. If he could only be a different man, they could be together. She hated that her entire life was dictated by a choice he made years before they had ever met. "Please, Jase, I want to talk about us."

"I can't," he managed, an amazing feat given the soft kisses Carly was planting on his throat. He knew that she was playing dirty, but he clearly didn't care as long as he was benefiting from her devilish tactics. "Elizabeth, there is no us. You made that pretty clear when you made your opinions known about my life. Besides, I'm with Carly."

A loud scoff filled his ear as Liz exhaled into the receiver. "You're always with Carly," she pointed out. The woman was always concocting some kind of disaster that Jason needed to fix for her. Elizabeth had flirted with the idea of creating her own catastrophe once to see if he would come rescue her, too. "Just make something up about work. I'm sure she's used to you blowing her off for your job. We can meet in ten minutes. Lucky has the boys."

Jason winced slightly when he thought about the police detective playing father to his son. Logic sometimes lost to his heart when it came to Jake. "I don't think you get it," he retorted. "I'm _with_ Carly. We're together. I'm not leaving to meet you. I won't lie to her. I won't blow her off. I don't have to meet with her in secret, and I won't have to watch another man raise my child with her."

His words stung more than he had intended, but he wanted to be severe so that she would get it. There was no coming back from where they had been. "I can't believe you," Elizabeth hissed. He could tell by the lilt in her voice that she was starting to cry. "You made me feel like your life wasn't safe enough for months, and suddenly, it's okay to be with her? How could you pretend to love me when all this time you just wanted to be with her? I knew you were a lot of things, Jase, but I never thought you were a liar."

"Don't call me that," he demanded evenly. He saw right through her ploy. "You never call me that. She's the only one who ever uses that name. Don't try to be her, Liz, green has never been your color." Carly couldn't help but snicker at his side, loving that for once he was putting little Lizzie in her place. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction in knowing that the wholesome nurse had lost out to her. "As for the rest of it, I've never lied to you, Elizabeth. You asked me to lie to everyone else, but I didn't do that with you."

"That was for our son!"

"Exactly, _our_ son," Jason emphasized. "I loved you, Elizabeth, but you asked me to give up my child. You asked me to lie and to walk away to keep him safe. I did that because I loved him. You made me believe that I had to do that. Maybe I did, I don't know. I just know that she would never ask me to make that choice. She believes in me enough to know that I could keep her safe. I am not Sonny. I wouldn't make the same mistakes that he made with Michael. That's what makes it okay for me to be with her. I always thought I kept you away to keep you safe but maybe it was to keep me safe from you."

After that, there really wasn't much for either of them to stay. Elizabeth didn't even attempt any more pathetic begging. She knew then that it was over. It didn't matter what crazy stunt she tried to pull or what plea she made on behalf of their love or their son, Jason would never pick her. He never would have completely chosen her. Besides, none of that was really her style. That was more Carly's method of operation, and it only worked on him when it came to her.

Back at Carly's house, Jason shut his phone and tucked it back in his pocket. He had come clean with Elizabeth once and for all. She was only the second person he had told that he loved Carly, but it felt nice to let someone else in the world know. He was proud to be with her. "You know what my favorite thing about you is?"

"My submissive demeanor?" she joked. "No, seriously, tell me."

Sliding his hand down her wrist, he wove their fingers together and pulled her the rest of the sidewalk to stand on her stoop. "Well, it changes all the time," he admitted. He was always finding things about her to love. He would have sworn that he fell in love with her all over again about a million times a day. "But right now, my favorite thing about you is that you don't need a hero. You are so strong and brave and resilient. You don't need someone white knight to come along and save you."

"I learned that from you," she revealed as she turned to look up at him. He must have liked her response because he quickly covered her mouth with his. Only when he pulled away did she get to explain further. "I can save myself. It's good to have faith in others like I have in you, but if I don't believe in myself, why should anyone else? You taught me that I can be my own hero.""

"Wanna be my hero?" he asked as he leaned back in to kiss her again. She deepened it this time, letting her tongue dance with his in an intimate waltz of intense passion and old-fashioned yearning. "I could use some saving."

"I think what you need is some sleep, Jase. You're starting to sound like me."

"I guess we really are perfect for each other then," he taunted, referring to the silly online dating profile that had started all of this.

Carly shrugged confidently. "I always told you that we were soulmates," she grinned. "But the profile said that we were almost perfect for each other. Twenty-four out of twenty-five categories – twenty-four points of perfection to be exact."

"Well, total perfection is boring…"

"And we have never been boring…"

"That we are not," he concurred. "So, we're almost perfect for each other. I think I'll take it."

"You better, Morgan," she grinned, "because I have no intention of ever letting you go."


	8. Point Eight

Early the next morning, Carly sat alone on the couch in her living room, palms hugging a steaming cup of hot coffee as she went over every moment of the night before. When she had first woken up, she had been afraid that it had been only a dream. Then, she spotted his black leather jacket lying next to her on the white pristine sheets and remembered that all of her dreams had come true last night. One by one, memories of their night together came crashing back to her. She had finally kissed Jason again, and he had finally admitted that he was in love with her. It was everything that she had ever wanted all at once, and the distance of twelve hours had done little to stifle the excitement she felt about the unexpected turn her life had taken.

As they had talked about the night prior, there were a lot of people that their newfound relationship was going to affect. In addition to telling Jax and Elizabeth, they would have to tell Sonny, her mom, Lulu, the Quartermaines and the men closest to Jason at work. These were the people that mattered to them in one way or another, and Carly didn't want any secrets when it came to her relationship with Jason. She wanted it out there for the entire world to see because she wouldn't risk letting anything hidden destroy them. That had been their undoing more than once before. This time, she was determined to be completely honest and open with everyone. They would all find out about their relationship from her or Jason directly. Not every conversation would be pretty; in fact, she was willing to guess that most people wouldn't be happy that they were together. She really didn't care how they reacted. She just wanted for it to be known.

However, as important as all of those conversations were, Carly knew that two stood above the rest. Spinelli and Morgan were the two people that would be most directly affected by Jason and Carly's new situation. They were the two that lived with them every day and were apart of each decision that either made. If Jake was older and things were different, that conversation would have been equally important. However, for now, Jason would have to just tell his mother. Morgan and Spinelli, on the other hand, would understand. She knew that they would both be happy for them, but the conversations were still important. These were the two that really counted. They were something else Jason and Carly had in common. They were the ones that would determine the future of their new family.

"Thanks for getting him up for me," Carly told Mercedes warmly as the young woman chauffeured a sleepy Morgan into the living room. Still dressed in his flannel pajamas, he climbed on the sofa next to his mother and rested his cheek against her shoulder absently. Carly reached down and smoothed his bedhead before telling Mercedes that she could take the rest of the day off. When mother and son were alone, she turned to the little boy and looked into his chocolate brown eyes. He was the spitting image of his father with the free spirit of his mother and quiet patience of his godfather. Like his older brother, he was the best of all three of them. "Morgan, I need to talk to you."

The little boy gaped up at her with wide, trusting eyes. His entire life was wrapped up in her, and she could only pray that she was doing right by him. "I don't like when you say that, Mommy," he confessed with a small and quiet voice. She couldn't help but feel herself get a little choked up. She'd had to give him far too much bad news in his short life – from her divorce to Sonny to losing Michael to watching Jax walk out of his life. He knew that those words were usually followed by bad news. She hoped that he would take this conversation as good news and break that pattern once and for all. "What is it? Is Daddy okay?"

"Oh, honey, your father is fine," she assured him, reaching down to hug him. Carly hated that his first assumption would be that something had happened to Sonny. They had tried to shield him from the life his father led, but it was next to impossible after Michael was shot. She pulled Morgan into her lap and enclosed her arms around him tightly. "This is actually about your mommy and Jason. You know how much you mean to me, and you know that Jason loves you. He would do anything for you and for me." The little boy nodded his head knowingly as he listened patiently. "I know that you were really sad when Jax had to go live at the hotel. He still loves you very much, but he isn't going to be around very much. You see, Mommy and Jax can't live together anymore."

"I know, you're getting a divorce like you and Daddy did when we all lived together across the hall from Jason," he said. He didn't remember their life at Harborview Towers, but he had heard the stories from Michael. "Are you sad, Mommy?"

"I was very sad that Jax and I couldn't make this work. We really tried, but sometimes, things just aren't meant to be," she tried to explain. "But as sad as I am, I am also happy because it made me realize just how much Jason and I love each other. So, I was thinking, if it is okay with you, I want us all to be a family. I'm sure that this is a little confusing."

Morgan looked up at the ceiling for a moment in deep contemplation before breaking out into a wide smile. "Mommy, you're silly. We're already a family," he corrected her. "I love you and I love Jason. You love me and you love Jason. Jason loves you and he loves me. That is what a family is, right?"

"I forget how smart you are sometimes," she laughed before kissing his forehead. He was amazingly perceptive for his age and had always been able to read a situation. He knew that they were a family long before Carly had quite caught onto what kind of family that really meant. "The thing is, though, it's not just the three of us. There is also Spinelli. I want all four of us to be a family. We are going to stay living here right now, and Jason is going to stay at his house with Spinelli. But someday, we'll all be together if that's okay with you."

"Can Spinelli come over now?" he implored. He had always liked the strange young man with his awkward way of talking and unapologetic love for junk food. Besides caring about Jason, it was another thing that he had in common with Carly and Morgan. They were all self-professed addicts of potato chips. "Wait, I don't have to share a room with him, do I?"

"Of course not," she promised with a hearty chuckle. "If and when that happens, Spinelli would have his own room downstairs. In the mean time, I just want the four of us to spend some time together. I know that you haven't really gotten to spend very much time with Jason lately, but I am going to change that. What do you say?"

"I think that's a good idea. I've really missed Jason," he confessed. It had been hard losing both of his father figures at the same time, especially when it was so soon after Michael had fallen into the coma. He'd loved Jax, but it had never been the same as having Sonny and Jason around. "Are we done talking?"

Carly smiled affectionately at her son and nodded. "What do you say that we go get you dressed and we'll head over to Kelly's? I hear that Grandpa Mike is making your special chocolate pancakes this morning for breakfast. If we hurry up, I bet we could convince Milo to take us over there so that we could get some."

Morgan jumped off the couch enthusiastically. He loved Mike's infamous pancakes and never baulked at the chance to down more than a few of them. "Come on, Mommy!" he called as he sprinted toward the staircase. "I'll race you!"

Across town, Jason stepped off the elevator at Harborview Towers and let himself into his penthouse. He wasn't surprised to find Maxie and Spinelli sprawled up on the couch, talking animatedly as the television blared in the background. The nosy blonde had become a fixture at his apartment, and he had long given up on trying to convince her to stay away. Just like a certain other blonde in his life, she was too stubborn to listen to what was good for her. She was as loyal to Spinelli as Carly was to him.

"Stone Cold!" Spinelli cheered as he saw his mentor begin rifling through a stack of mail on the desk. The computer hacker quickly reached forward and clicked off the television. "The Maxamista brought over some breakfast from the Godfather's Father if you would like to take of some hearty nourishment."

Jason shook his head dismissively as he dropped the letters back to the oak desk. He looked over at Maxie, who was busily nibbling on a carrot muffin, her bare feet haphazardly throw across Spinelli's lap. "Actually, I came home from the office because we need to talk about something," he informed his "Grasshopper." Spinelli leaned forward intently without disrupting Maxie's feet on his thighs. "Some things happened last night, and they could affect you."

Spinelli's eyes widened at his mentor's announcement, wondering what the latest unraveling had been in the mob business. Whatever was going on, he was ready to spring into action and defend what was theirs, or at least Jason's. "Maybe you should go home,' Spinelli told Maxie. She looked at him haughtily and pushed out her bottom lip. Just like Carly, she hated being shut out or dismissed whenever business came up. "It's just that Stone Cold likes to keep his business affairs extremely private. It's for your own good."

"Actually, Maxie can hear this," Jason decided aloud. "You're going to tell her anyway, and it could eventually impact her if things work out like I think they will." He ignored the confused look that exchanged between Maxie and Spinelli as he took a seat in the overstuffed arm chair that flanked the sofa. Resting his palms on his jean-clad knee, he jumped into the conversation, hoping that they wouldn't ask too many questions. "Last night, Carly and I kind of got together. Before you ask, I'm not going to tell you what happened. I just think that you should know that we're going to be together and that we'll be spending time together. She really wants us to be a family, us and Morgan. We're not going to rush anything, but I am planning on a future with Carly."

Maxie couldn't help but clap her hands excitedly. She had watched Jason on the sidelines for years, ever since he had dated her sainted cousin. As much as she loved Robin, she had always known that her cousin was right for Jason. They were from completely different worlds. Maxie had never really known Courtney, but she had known enough to understand that the blonde had been too idealistic to fit into the mob life. Sam had been a closer fit, but she had never really quite figured out how to play the game. As for Elizabeth, well, that was simply ridiculous. As if a woman like that could ever handle a man like Jason Morgan! No, it had been Carly all along. She was the only one who was all the things that Jason needed and all the things that he didn't want to admit that he wanted.

"I think that is really great, Jason," she told him. He looked at her strangely in the way that he so often looked at her. And like always, she brushed him off and continued with her little speech. "You and Carly really belong together. I told Spinelli that when we saw the results of the dating profile! He didn't want to sign you up, but I told him that it would change your life. See, Spinelli, I was right! We brought them together. Maybe we should be matchmakers…"

Spinelli reached out and covered his best friend's hand with his own to subtly quiet her down. Jason had been shooting him a look for the last several seconds while she ranted. It was only a matter of time before he demanded that she shut up. "Congratulations, Stone Cold," he said softly, his tone kind and genuine. He had long thought that Jason's heart had rested with the Valkyrie, despite all his protesting that he loved the Maternal One. "I am sure that the two of you will be very happy with little Morgan."

"Spinelli, I don't think you understand," he replied, shaking his head. It was rare that he opened his life up to anyone new, but he had done that with Spinelli. He had taken the strange teenager under his wing and watched him grow into the strange man that sat in front of him. "When I said us, I meant you, too. Carly included you. I would never, you know… Look, you're apart of this family."

"Awww!" Maxie squealed, clapping her hands again. She had always known that the cold mobster had a soft spot somewhere in that frigid body of his. "Spinelli, you've always wanted to have a family."

The young man didn't know what to say as he looked from his best friend to his mentor. He had never had a family to speak of besides his grandmother, but now, he almost had a set of parents and a younger brother in a way. "Thank you," he whispered softly. He knew that if he showed too much emotion, it would only make Jason uncomfortable. He didn't need that. Hearing those words had been enough. "So what else does this mean?"

"Just that we're going to spend some time together, all of us," he confirmed. "I wanted Maxie to hear it because I know that she is your best friend. If anyone understands what that means, it's Carly and me. If she would like to spend time with us too, I know that Carly and Morgan would like that. For some strange reason, that little boy thinks the two of you are the funniest people in the world."

"Uh, because we are!" Maxie rolled her eyes. She always had to point out the obvious to Jason. "Anyhow, we'd love to!"

Neither man said anything as the blonde answered for Spinelli. They had quickly gone from being two people that hated each other to two mourners wrapped up in shared grief over the same young woman to two friends relying on one another to two best friends unable to define what was going on between them. Jason had followed a similar plot line with Carly, and as clearly as he could see his ending with her, he could see a similar future for Maxie and Spinelli. "Alright, now that's out of the way, I have to go to work."

Spinelli stood up and followed Jason to the door, Maxie just a step behind. "Is there anything that I need to be working on?" the hacker asked, nodding toward his closed laptop on the desk. Jason shook his head and told him to take the day off. "We're just going to hang out here all day if you change your mind."

"I'll be home later. I was thinking that maybe I'd see if Carly wanted to bring Morgan over for pizza," he told Spinelli as he reached into the coat closet for his spare jacket. He had left his favorite one with Carly to tie her over until he could hold her again. If he couldn't be with her, he liked knowing that a little piece of him was. "I'll let you know if things change."

Jason shoved on the leather coat and opened the door while Spinelli flopped back down on the couch. Maxie remained in her place at the edge of the desk, running her hand over the smooth surface almost nervously. Her anxious demeanor peaked Jason's interest. She was never standoffish. Suddenly, she reached forward and threw her arms around him, catching him completely off-guard. "Thank you," she whispered as she pulled away. He looked at her shocked blue eyes, unsure of what to say. "It's not like I really have much of a family, so I appreciate that you'd let me be apart of this. I know it's not really your choice and that you're doing it for Spinelli. I just wanted to say, you know, thank you."

He nodded thoughtfully as she stepped back uncomfortably before reaching down to smooth out her dress. "You matter to him," he said as he stepped into the hallway, careful to hold the gaze of the young blonde. "That makes you my family."

With his parting words, Jason closed the door and headed to the elevator. As he pressed the lit button that would take him down to his private garage, he pulled his cell phone and dialed a number from memory. It rang a few times before her warm voice filled his ear. "What do you say about pizza tonight at the penthouse?" he asked. "Spinelli and Maxie will be there, and I'm buying."


	9. Point Nine

The dim lights of the television flickered across the dark apartment, casting dancing shadows across the cream-colored walls. Jason lay stretched out across his sofa, a sleeping Carly resting peacefully in his lap. He could hear the high-pitched giggles of Maxie and Morgan intermingled with Spinelli's baritone chuckle coming from upstairs and the shallow inhale and exhale of his best friend's soft breath. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was completely at peace. The world didn't exist outside these four walls. He had almost everything he needed right there at home.

Of course, he had missed Michael and Jake many times over the course of the evening. As he had sat with his new family around the coffee table in the living room eating pizza, he couldn't help but think that there were two little boys missing. He knew that unless something drastic changed, there would always be something missing from the picture. However, he had been able to focus on what was there – the animated way Carly talked as she told a story, the smear of marinara sauce across Morgan's cheek, the odd nicknames Spinelli still insisted on using after nearly three years, even the constant name dropping from Maxie – Jason loved every minute of it.

Carly stirred in his lap, stretching her limber body as she looked up at Jason with a coy smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," she apologized half-heartedly. She knew that he didn't mind having her in his arms, especially given all the years they had both had to go without the luxury. Her eyes swept over the wrecked room, taking in the empty pizza boxes, video cases and paper cups of soda. They were signs that a family lived here. "Where's Morgan?"

"Upstairs with Spinelli and Maxie. He convinced Spinelli to show him some video game that he just got. Morgan seemed pretty excited," Jason answered her. They both listened for a moment as a shout of celebration rang out upstairs. "I have to tell you, that little boy is pretty amazing. Spinelli is always trying to get Maxie to play with him, but Morgan managed to do it in less than five seconds with that famous pouty lip of his."

"Hmm, sound like anyone you know?" she giggled as Jason pointed to her. She reached out and grabbed his hand in mock horror before bringing it up to her lips to kiss his fingertips. "This was nice tonight, being here with everyone like this. I know that we still have a lot of details to figure out, but this kind of made me feel like it was possible for everything to work out. Even after all this time, we fit together perfectly."

Jason reached down and entwined their fingers, bringing them up so that they could both inspect their entangled hands. It was hard to tell where one of them began and where the other ended. It was a lot like their lives in that way. The past ten years of his life were completely wrapped up in the blonde woman he held in his arms. The good, the bad, the highs, the lows and everything in between dwelled in her familiar azure eyes, ever-welcoming arms and incredibly open heart. One look at her and he could see a million different memories, a million different stories that they would someday tell their children. From their very first dance at Jake's to holding her on the sofa in his penthouse, they had lived an entire lifetime together in the matter of a decade. If their wild ride had been so amazing up to now, he knew that their future together would be equally incredible.

"You know what I was thinking about while you were sleeping?" he asked. Carly shrugged, indicating that she wanted him to continue. "I was remembering when I came to see you after Lucky's funeral at the Quartermaines. Do you remember that night?"

It had been about a million years since Carly had thought about that night. She had gone to the funeral, not really knowing the Spencer family but wanting to support her mother. It had been awkward best as she tried to mourn the loss of a cousin she had never really gotten the chance to love. The entire time, she had the sense that she should feel sad, but mostly, she just felt sad for the people around her. She was a new mother herself, and she had wondered if she would be able to survive losing Michael. When she got home, she wanted to tell Jason all about it, but A.J. had been there instead. Jason had snuck back into the mansion and sat with her on the couch much as he was now. He had held her while she talked about having to tell Lucas that his role model was gone. It was the first time she had truly felt like she was apart of that family, as sad as the moment it had been.

"We weren't sure that we would ever survive losing Michael," she remembered, willing the tears not to come. In the short time since she had reunited with Jason, she had thought countless times how much he would have loved it. He'd always quietly rooted for them to get back together. He saw the entire time what neither of them had wanted to see. Michael was Jason's biggest fan, and Jason was his. He would have loved knowing that he was finally going to be with his mother. "I guess we were strong than we ever thought. We managed to survive losing him twice."

Jason kissed her forehead tenderly as he shook his head slightly. "What choice did we have? We had Morgan and each other that we had to live for," he reminded her. "All those nights in the hospital when we watched over him, I wasn't sure that we were going to be able to do it. I knew that if I broke, I'd pull you over the edge with me. If you fell apart, I would have followed right behind you. I knew that we were skating on thin ice the entire time, just going through the motions. That's why I let you yell and scream at Kate and Sonny. It was the one way that I knew you were still there."

"If you hadn't been there when I stepped off the elevator that night, I wouldn't have made it through like I did, Jase. Your arms were right there waiting to protect and comfort me like they've always been," she murmured softly. "I don't really like thinking about that night, but when I do, that's the part I remember. I remember going in with you to see Michael after the surgery, how you came up from behind me and kissed me on the shoulder. Out of everything that anyone said to me or brought or did, that was the one thing that gave me the most comfort. It reminded me that I wasn't alone in dealing with all of it."

It was the first time in a long time that they had spoken at length about Michael or that night. Like Carly, it wasn't exactly a time that he liked to remember. Sometimes he would allow himself to think about it when he took a long drive a long the coast, but mostly, he sort of blocked it out of his mind like anything else that was painful. For many years, memories of his life with Carly and Michael had been blocked out too. Tonight, however, he only wanted to remember when they had all been happy together. "I love you, Carly," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss her. "I love you and the life that you have given me. Thank you for letting me know our boys. My life has been empty these past few months without them."

"I know that we will never get that time back, Jase, but I promise that I won't ever make that same mistake again," she pledged. "I should have figured out a different way to handle this than to keep you away from Michael and Morgan. After everything that happened, this is probably the time when you all needed each other the most. I still have to make decisions about what I'm going to do with Sonny, but no matter what I choose, I won't keep you away from the boys again."

"I know you won't," he assured her, dragging his fingers through her hair. She turned her face so that her cheek rested in his palm. His thumb brushed over the soft, smooth skin as she closed her eyes. "I know that you're not Elizabeth, Carly. Don't think that you have to keep promising me over and over that you're not going to take the boys away. I believe you. Besides, it's not just her fault. I agreed to stay away for his own sake."

Crossing her arms over chest, Carly sat up indignantly. This was one topic of conversation that was always likely to conjure up anger from the feisty blonde. "Just because you agreed to it, doesn't make it right," she asserted boldly. "Jase, I've said this a million times, and you know that I'm going to say it again. No, your line of work is not safe, I'd be lying to you if I said it was. However, you would never, ever let your job touch your child. Look at my life if you need proof. The things that have happened to my children never happened when they were under your watch. It was only when Sonny was around that things happened. They were kidnapped from his house, and Michael was shot because he was standing next to his father. When Sonny should have been watching out for his kids, he was always busy doing something else. That's the difference between the two of you. You would never put anyone or anything – not even me – before your boys. It's their safety first and your heart second."

She was right when she said that. He had always acted on instinct and rational rather than emotion and anger. Even when he was at his lowest point determined to get revenge, it was logic that guided his choices. He had seen Sonny get too wrapped up in his own selfish motives to many times to repeat the mistakes of his mentor. If you didn't take a step back and assess the situation, you were bound to miss something. "I miss Jake."

"I know," she retorted immediately, reaching up to stroke his cheek. It was the smallest thing, but it provided some comfort to him. "Jase, if you want to be a father to him, you know that it's not too late. You can still fight for him, and you wouldn't have to do it alone. My cousin has been good to him, but you are Jake's father. If you are not still willing to agree to the terms of the arrangement, there is something you can do to change that."

He looked at her for a long moment, his lips pursed in quiet consideration. He knew that what he was about to say was treading on dangerous ground, but given her last comment, he knew that he had to say it. "If you truly believe that, then how would you feel if Sonny were to do the same?" he proposed carefully. She narrowed her eyes in surprise before focusing her baby blue orbs on his. "You know that he never wanted to give up his place in Morgan's life. I'm not saying that you have to let him take Morgan on vacation somewhere. It's just that I don't think you can really sit here and tell me that I should fight for Jake if you wouldn't let Sonny do the same. Morgan misses his father as much as I miss Jake. How can I justify seeing my son while holding another little boy who can't see his?"

Even after all the anger and hurt of losing Michael, Jason still had compassion for his former boss, mentor and best friend. "Can't you just be selfish this one time?" she implored lightly. She knew that he was right, as much as it pained her to admit it. She wanted to keep Morgan safe, but with what Jason said, she was starting to wonder if she was doing it at her son's expense. "But I can't let Morgan go to Sonny's house, Jase. I can't just let him go without me being there. Sonny didn't jump to protect one of our children once. I'm not willing to risk it happening again with my other son."

"Then you go with him," he pointed out. "We go together. We allow supervised visits in public places of your choosing. I'll have guards in place before you show up so that everything has been secured. We will use armored cars, tight security and complete secrecy about the schedule. It won't be easy, Carly, but we could make it happen. I just want you to think about it."

As she listened to Morgan giggle along with Spinelli and Maxie upstairs, she felt her heart sink in her chest. "Trust me, Jase, I have thought about it," she sighed. She had tried to work every angle as to how she could make this work. She had always been too scared to really consider it in the past, but with Jason behind her, it felt a little more manageable. "We'll figure something out, but for now, can you just kiss me and let me forget?"


	10. Point Ten

The familiar whir of a cappuccino brewing the morning's specialty blend; light conversation as the guards filed in to get their schedules for the week; red lights flashing on the impressive switchboard of the executive phone sitting atop the simple wooden desk; freshly polished sterling silver frames with snapshots of the people closest to him. All of these little things had always been apart of Jason's office, but this morning, he saw everything in a new light. He knew what was going to come in just a few minutes, a conversation that had the potential to change everything. Much like his decision to be with Carly, the choice to tell Sonny stood to have a monumental impact on the entire family. Only Morgan was unaware of what could happen, and Jason was intent on keeping it that way. No matter what happened after today, he would not let the fallout hurt that little boy. He wished that he could say the same for Carly, but that would only be a naïve lie to himself. She was going to have to deal with the wrath of Sonny just as much as he was. As he leaned back in his black leather chair behind his desk, he could only reflect how much had changed in the past year.

One year ago, Jason had been completely and faithfully in love with Elizabeth. Despite the danger that being in his life presented, he was sure that they would find a way to have a life together. She was less reluctant at that time, almost optimistic that they could defy the odds and actually be happy. He had wanted to believe in her so much that he was willingly to overlook the lies. Only months later could he see that keeping the truth about Jake's paternity would ultimately be their undoing. He had lied to Lucky, Sam, the Quartermaines, even Carly. He had believed that he had to lie to keep Jake safe. Even as he was adamant that he was doing this for their sake, he had known that the biggest lie he was telling was the one he told himself every night when he was alone.

When he had been the one on the other side of the coin, lying to keep a child safe from a disaster of a father, Jason could justify what he had done. One look into Carly's desperate blue eyes and he would have taken her to the other side of the world if it meant keeping her safe. Raising Michael with A.J. as a father would have made the little boy simply a pawn in a very sick game. He couldn't do that to a child, and he wouldn't do that to Carly. He had made that decision in a split second, and years later, it still had repercussions on his life. If he had known what would happen with Sonny as a father, he would have never left his little boy in that man's hands either.

Jason could see the parallels in the three situations, the common thread that could almost tie all of them together. The thing that set Jason apart from Sonny and A.J., though, was that he knew he was a good father. If he ever had doubted it, Carly had shown him that. She believed that he was good enough to raise her first child and had happily asked him to now help her raise her second one. She told him that he needed to fight for Jake and vowed to fight for him if he wouldn't. She knew that their weaknesses and dangers, but she could see past that to the man that he was.

However, Jason had almost forgotten all of that over the last several months when he had been so wrapped up completely in Elizabeth. He had dismissed Carly's complete faith in him in lieu of Elizabeth's obvious lack of trust. After Emily had died, he had believed all those things that Elizabeth said. Instead of fighting to be with the woman he believed he loved, he had come to believe that he didn't even deserve the right to be happy. In one single night, Carly had managed to do what Elizabeth couldn't do in the nearly two years since Jake had been conceived.

"Hey, sorry I'm running late. Morgan didn't want me to leave him with Mercedes," Carly apologized as she burst into the room, the air immediately energized with her presence. She didn't even both to acknowledge that she hadn't knocked. She only went straight into Jason's waiting arms. He held her tightly, sensing that she needed the silence. Her body relaxed in his embraced as she leaned back to look up at him. "That's better."

Taking her purse from her shoulder, he helped Carly discard her coat and steered her over to his chair before retrieving a cup of coffee from the private machine kept in his office. Carly took the mug gratefully and sipped the dark brew, enjoying the immediate boost the caffeine gave as it worked its way through her veins. After she had downed the entire mug, she set it on the desk with an empty thud. "I know you don't want to do this."

"Neither do you," Jason deducted as he looked into her pale blue eyes. They brimmed with weary anxiety. "It's not that I'm scared to do it…I just wish that he could hear the news and be happy for us. Instead, he'll see this as some kind of twisted betrayal, which is strange considering how you two even started. He's going to hate me even after I forgave him and let him raise our son."

Carly rose from her chair and cross the room to where Jason was leaning against the wall. Grabbing his hands, she pulled him back toward his chair and pushed him back into the leather seat before crawling into his lap. She entwined her arms around his neck and sighed. "Jase, once we tell him, it doesn't matter anymore. It's out there. He gets to choose how he reacts and if he wants to be apart of our lives. You have been everything that Sonny has needed all these years. It's time that he learns how to do that for you," she told him. Her voice was low, confident and assuring. She might be scared, but she would gladly take on his fears as well as her own if it meant being strong for them. "The thing that is important here is that we are telling him. We're being honest and open about what is happening between us. We get to choose how we react to him. It's all about choices. Now that I have you again, I plan on making the right ones."

He brushed his thumb over the gentle slope of her cheek affectionately, thinking just how incredible the woman in his arms truly was. "You always had me," he pledged. As he said those words, they both knew it was true. He'd always had her, too. Sure, they had fallen in love with others between now and then, and it didn't diminish what they'd had with those people. It only showed how strong they were. Through all those relationships, their love had never faded. It had changed and adapted and taken on many different forms, but it had always been there.

"Well, no matter what happens today, I plan on having you tonight," she confessed seductively, running her tongue along her bottom lip in anticipation. She caught Jason's eye and winked suggestively. His body hardened instinctively as he dipped to capture her pert lips with his own. She returned his kiss hungrily, pulling him closer to her so that she could taste all of him. They were both too caught up in the moment to hear the sound of the door opening. It was only when the heavy metal bounced off the brick wall behind it with an angry echo that they pulled apart and noticed that they were no longer alone. A frozen man stood in the doorway, hurt and anger painted across his stricken face. Jason loosened his grip on Carly but didn't let go as he held onto her hand. He noted the strain in her voice as she announced their visitor, "Sonny."

Sonny shook his head vehemently, not wanting to believe what he had just seen. His nightmare was unfolding before him, his best friend holding onto the woman he had loved more than any other. It didn't matter that Kate was waiting for him outside in the idling limo. He had suddenly forgotten that his childhood sweetheart even existed. The only thing he could see was a betrayal in his own family. "Please tell me that I did not just see that," he ordered, his voice booming and demanding. Carly didn't flinch like a lot of women would have; his brazen reaction only fueled her determination to stand up for her relationship to Sonny. "How could you do this?"

"Oh, get off it, Sonny," she retorted with a bored tone. "We've both already heard the betrayal monologue before, so you can spare us the semantics. I'm sorry that you walked in and found us like this, but don't pretend to be surprised. You had to know that eventually we would figure this out and go back to each other."

The man ran his hands over his face. She could see that his temper was flaring and at any moment he could boil over. She had lived through his histrionics and wasn't afraid to go toe to toe with him. She was one of the few people in the world he would never hurt. "I never thought this would happen."

"You knew I loved her," Jason announced, his voice barely above a whisper. He was even and steady as he moved his eyes to meet his former business partners. Years of friendship, family and mentorship were between them, and yet, Jason felt like was staring at a stranger. "You knew that ten years ago when you slept with her, and you knew it the minute you walked through the door. You've heard me say it a million times, Sonny. You knew that this would happen."

Carly waited for him to start yelling in that belligerent way he always got the moment he realized that everything was beyond his control. She'd been on the receiving end of it many times, like when the truth about Kristina had finally come out. However, she was surprised at how eerily calm he had become since his last statement. His eyes were fixed on the two of them with an intensely hateful glare. "He is not going to be a father to my son. If my life isn't safe for Morgan, I will not stand by and watch Jason raise him."

Leaping to her feet, she stalked across the small office and looked at her ex-husband daringly. "First of all, do _not_ compare yourself to Jason. He would never deny a child the right to a father that would actually put him or her first, which is nothing at all like you," she spat. "That man over there, the one that you suddenly seem to hate despite the years of loyalty he has given to our family, he was the one who made you a father in the first place. If Jason hadn't walked away from Michael, Morgan wouldn't even be here."

Without a word, Jason came up behind Carly and rested his hand on the small of her back supportively. She glanced at him over her shoulder, searching his eyes for the slightest hint of what he thought. With a slight nod, he urged her to go on. "Now that we have that covered, let me remind you that you signed away your rights to Morgan. You didn't have to do that. I wanted you to, but you had a choice. You didn't have to give up your organization for Kate, but that is what you chose. Don't blame him or me for your decision."

"You know why I did that," he sneered. "I did that to keep my children safe. I didn't do this just for Kate and me. I wanted Kristina and Morgan to have a better chance than Michael did."

"You made a choice," she reiterated. "Now, I am making mine. Jason has always been a father figure to my boys, and I am not about to change that. Unlike you, he would never try to take another man's place. You will always be Morgan's father, and as much as I don't like you sometimes, I would never want to change that. We did something amazing there, Sonny, and I intend to honor that. What I won't put up with is you making demands that you no longer have the right to make."

"He is my son."

"No, he is our son," Jason corrected him, shifting closer to Carly. "Michael was our son, too. The three of us are equally responsible for what has happened to those two boys. You know that I love them every bit as much as I love Jake. I made a mistake walking away from my son, one that I plan on making right very soon. You have the chance here to do the same."

Sonny looked at the two blondes skeptically. "What does that mean?"

Carly ran her fingers through her hair tiredly and leaned back against Jason for support. "I'm willing to work with you," she decided. "I don't know what the terms of the compromise will be, but you're right. You're not going to get everything you want, but I'd like to try to find a way for Morgan to spend time with you. It's what's best for him. I just want you to understand that Jason does not present the same danger as you."

"The hell he doesn't," the man laughed humorlessly. "I taught Jason everything he knows."

"And you also taught me not what to do and who not to be," Jason reminded him. "We're nothing alike Sonny, and you know it. If this conversation had been a month ago or even a week ago, I would have agreed that my life was too dangerous for Morgan. Maybe it still is. The difference between you and me though is that _I'm_ not too dangerous for Morgan. I would never make the same mistake that you did."

Numerous times of reminding Jason of that fact had finally seeped into his brain, and it made Carly proud to know that he got it. "Look, what happen to Michael… I need to put it behind us. I still wake up in the middle of the night believing that it could be a nightmare. I'll think of things or laugh at a joke and want to tell him. Nothing is going to change that. As much as I don't want to live without my little boy, I have to find a way to do it. I have to move on, and I am going to do that with Jason. You can choose to be supportive or fight us on it, I don't really care. The only thing that I am concerned about when it comes to you is Morgan. You need to figure out a way to deal with us for his sake."


	11. Point Eleven

Worn out from a day filled with arguing with Sonny and chasing Morgan around the park all afternoon, Carly collapsed on the chaise lounger in the backyard and gazed happily at the velvet night sky overhead. The sky was darker than usual, keeping the twinkling stars from shining through the thick blanket of ominous clouds. It wasn't exactly the most romantic view she'd ever seen but it somehow fit the mood that consumed her on this particular night. Things had been off kilter pretty much all day, and telling her ex-husband about her plans for the future had gone about as well as she thought they would. She was happy that they had told Sonny, but a tiny part of her had almost believed that he would actually find a way to be happy for Jason and her. As she turned on her side and looked through the clear French doors into her kitchen, she once again reminded herself that it didn't matter what he said or thought. The only thing that mattered was right in front of her.

Carly watched through the picture window as Morgan leaned over the edge of a large mixing bowl, holding out an egg for Jason to inspect. The two of them had been hard at work for the past half-hour at making dinner and had forbidden her from coming within ten feet of the kitchen. She had tried to occupy herself with paperwork from the hotel or one of the mindless television shows that so many people seemed to love. However, nothing could hold her attention when all she could hear was the laughter of the two guys she loved more than anything in the next room having fun without her. She had poked her head in to check on them, but Morgan had insisted that she leave. The only other person allowed in the room was Mercedes and that was only because she had to get Morgan ready for bed.

Jason helped Morgan jump down off the counter before he poured the thick batter into a glass baking dish and carried it over to the oven. He handed Morgan the timer, and the little boy proudly turned the dial and sat it back on the counter. He jogged over to the double doors that led to the patio and stuck his head out. "Mommy, I'm going to go upstairs and play until dinner is ready!" he called out to his mother, his little voice filling the otherwise silent backyard. "Mercedes wants to teach me a new game. Will you come get me when it's ready?"

"We will," Jason promised as he passed by Morgan on his way out to find Carly. The little boy grinned up at his godfather mischievously before spinning around on his heels and bounding up the stairs. The two adults laughed in unison as Jason navigated his way in the dark toward Carly's chair. "Your son made a very hearty chicken pot pie for dinner. Now, I know that you don't like your vegetables, but I think you could manage to eat it for him, don't you?"

"Doesn't count as vegetables anyway," she reasoned as she moved over in the chair to make room for her best room. Jason's arms easily found their way around her body as he cradled her close to him. She pressed her face against his chest so that she could hear the steady, comforting beat of his heart. "Anything covered in pie crust automatically negates any healthy element a meal has to it. This is common knowledge, Jase. I can't believe I still have to explain the rules of junk food to you."

He laughed happily and dropped a kiss on top of her silky blonde tendrils. "The only food groups that I see most of the time center around burgers, fries, pizza and beer. Everything else is just food to me," he agreed. He shared Carly's great love for bar food in particular and could subside wholly on things he could pick up at Kelly's or Jake's. "Spinelli and Maxie are going to be over in a half-hour to eat with us. It'll probably be at least 45 minutes until dinner is even ready."

"That gives us plenty of time to just lie here then," she declared contently, snuggling closer to him in a vain attempt to get warmer in the cool autumn night. His arms encircled her tighter as his hands moved up and down her arms. Even if she wasn't exactly freezing she still shivered involuntarily under his touch. "So, we should probably talk about who you want to tell next."

Jason grunted in frustration, wishing that all of this could be over and that they could just be a happy family without having to worry about what half of Port Charles would think. "Let's just get the hard stuff out of the way," he sighed. "I will stop by the hospital tomorrow to tell Elizabeth while you go over to the hotel to tell Jax. They're probably the only two that are going to put up an argument at all out of everyone that is left. I mean, there are the Quartermaines, but they fight about everything."

Carly giggled knowingly as she threaded her fingers with his. She brought them up to her lips and brushed a sweet kiss over each calloused knuckle, wishing that simple gesture was enough to sooth his frazzled nerves. Jason had always hated confrontation, especially of the emotional nature. "If I could take care of all of this on my own, I would," she promised him between kisses. "Elizabeth already knows what is going on. You just need to have the conversation with her in person out of courtesy. It'll be over soon, Jase, and we will just get to tell people that will be happy for us. My family loves you."

He knew that she was right. Bobbie had an unnatural ability to love anyone that her children loved simply because they loved them. He knew that it was that same unconditional kind of love that Carly had for Michael and Morgan. As selfish as everyone liked to say that she was, he had seen those moments where she was completely selfless for the person that she cared about. Jason and the boys were three people that she would always put before herself. It was just another thing that not too many people got to see but made him love her so completely. "Jax is going to fight you on this."

"So let him. There is nothing he can say or do to change my mind. He made his choice to put other people before our marriage a long time ago. If he had truly loved me the way that he has always proclaimed, he wouldn't have done that. He wouldn't have left me here along long enough to realize that I was still in love with you. Besides, why do you think Jax was always so jealous of my connection to you? He always knew on some level that there was a good chance I would go back to you. It killed him that he couldn't be the most important man in my life as long as you were in it."

"Well, I'm kind of glad that he ran all over chasing his brother then," Jason confessed, even though he knew those months had caused her to shed far too many tears and feel far too much anguish. "What are you going to do about the hotel?"

Carly shrugged. She had poured her heart and soul into the Metrocourt, and she loved that hotel. A big part of her wanted to fight for it, not to spite her soon-to-be ex-husband but because she actually cared about what happened to it. However, another part of her knew that they could never be business partners in the way that they needed to be in order for things to run smoothly there. She could be selfish and fight for it, but her staff deserved better. Jax would take care of them and the hotel. Besides, she had other plans for her future that would need her attention.

"If Jax is willing, I would like to work out a fair deal to share him my half of both the hotels that we own," she decided. Jason was surprised at the statement. He had thought that she would want to hold onto at least the Metrocourt. "I accomplished there what I set out to do. I wanted to be independent and I was for awhile. I helped make that hotel successful, even after the hostage crisis. There's nothing left there for me to do."

Tilting her chin, Jason forced her ocean blues to meet his matching ones. He could read her like a book. "Okay, what plan do you have tumbling around in that beautiful head of yours?"

A devilish smile spread across her lips as she tried to force a serene and angelic look to wash over her face. "This family is my new project, Jase," she explained. "That's what I was thinking about. I was planning all the things that I wanted to do for us. We could go on a vacation just the four of us. I want to redecorate some of the spaces in the cottage to make them a little more like you. I'd like to spend more time with Morgan before he starts going to school all day next year. I haven't really spent as much time with my mom or Lulu as I'd like either. There are a lot of things that I have been putting off, but now that I finally have the time, I want to focus on our family."

_Our family_. As many times as they had said it in the time since they had reunited, he never got tired of hearing those two words come from her mouth. He loved that she saw the four of them as a cohesive unit that no one could penetrate. Jason, Carly, Spinelli and Morgan were a family that Jason felt like could finally be permanent. "And do those plans include anyone else?"

Her eyes lit up as she propped herself up on an elbow and gazed down over him. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" she asked, her voice hopeful. This was very unlike Jason. He rarely ever spoke of the future except in the most abstract of ways. He wasn't a planner by nature and usually wrote off any of the grand ideas she dreamt about. He kept them grounded in reality while she allowed them to reach for the stars. "Of course I have thought about that, Jase. You know that I have."

He leaned forward expectantly and kissed her briefly on her wet lips. "Tell me."

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed, you and I happen to have something very important in common. We both have blue eyes and blonde hair," she pointed out. Jason grinned at her obviousness but nodded for her to continue. "Neither of the boys really looks anything like me. Michael somehow managed to end up with my mother's coloring and Morgan is a miniature replica of Sonny. I've always wanted to have a child that actually had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as me. With you, I can almost guarantee that our little girl is going to look like us."

"Little girl, huh?" he laughed. He loved Carly logic as he called it, her ability to reason things in her head that only she could fully comprehend. "Well, first of all, I'm not sure that I can control what gender our child is. Now, did you just tell me that you want to have a baby with me because of my eyes and hair?"

Carly punched his shoulder lightly as he mocked her. "It's just so convenient, Jase," she retorted with a teasing timbre in her voice. "C'mon, you know that if that was all I was after, I could just try again with Jax. He's a pretty decent looking guy with the same features I was looking for. It's just his heart that I have trouble with."

"Oh and why is that?" he taunted back. "Is there some kind of family history or something?"

"It's just not yours." Carly wrapped her arms around Jason's neck and moved her body over his completely before diving in to capture his mouth hungrily with hers. His hands moved down to span her waist, his thumbs rubbing over her hips. Carly moaned against him as she wrapped his legs around his trunk and pressed her pelvis down against his hardened center. Just as she was about to drown completely in the temptation of his body, the mechanical beeping of a wailing timer poured out of the kitchen followed by three very animated voices.

"Ew, Mommy!" Morgan hollered as he hid behind his eyes from his perch on Spinelli's back. The two boys were frozen next to a giggling Maxie, who was trying in vain to hide her mouth behind her hand.

"Uh, um, dinner is, uh, ready," Spinelli muttered before swinging Morgan back around toward the kitchen. Maxie stood frozen in her spot, still laughing, as Spinelli yanked on her arm and pulled her into the house after him.

Carly and Jason collapsed into a fit of laughter, feeling very much like two teenagers caught making out by their parents on the front porch after a date. She untangled herself from him and pulled him off the chair to go inside. Spinelli, Maxie and Morgan were already at work setting the table and Jason went in ahead of her to start serving up the pot pie. Carly leaned against the doorframe for a moment and watched them all move so comfortably around her kitchen. As Jason sat the final plate on the table, he looked up at her and winked. This was their family, their life, their home.


	12. Point Twelve

There were a million places in Port Charles that Carly could have chosen to meet with Jax, but when it finally came time to make the call, she had selected the Metrocourt dining room for exactly one reason – they owned it. It was the one place she could ensure that they would both be on their best behavior. No matter how much they had hurt each other, she had always known that they could both put on a professional face as soon as they walked into the hotel. They tried to leave their emotional baggage at the door, and save for the hotel manager, the staff had never been caught into the drama that had ruled their relationship from its earliest days. Now that their marriage was about to see its final sunset, she hoped that they would manage to get through one last meal without tearing each other apart in public. It was a lofty dream to say the least.

Taking a long sip of her red wine, Carly tried to ignore the anxiety that had plagued her all day. She tried to hold onto the liquid courage as the rich cabernet slid down her throat and made its way into her pulsating nervous system. The only comfort she could find right now as at least she didn't have to be the one to tell Elizabeth. It was complicated enough with Jax. They were married on paper only at this point, but he had still meant a lot to her during a very difficult period in her life. She had tried to love him to the best of her ability, but they both knew that it would never be good enough. He needed someone who could give of herself completely, but he would never have held all of Carly's heart. Maybe in another universe, one completely devoid of the powerful combination that was Jason and Carly, their love would have stood a chance. However, Jason was very much apart of Carly's life and her heart. Once she had rediscovered that love, any dim chance of making her relationship work with Jax ceased to exist.

On the other hand, Carly knew that Elizabeth wasn't about to walk away from Jason without a fight. She couldn't blame her. If she was put in the same situation, Carly would have done anything and everything to hold onto Jason. The only difference was that she wouldn't have to fight too hard. Jason would never walk away from her like he was Elizabeth. He would never choose another woman over her, and he knew that if he gave her the chance, Carly would never choose someone over him. They had talked about it at length as they looked back at the situation that had led to her and Sonny. If he had given her a choice that morning after she had slept with Sonny, Carly would have chosen Jason. Instead, he had chosen for her. It was one of the great regrets of his life, and it comforted Carly to know that he wouldn't let that happen this time around.

"I'm sorry that I'm late," Jax apologized politely as he slid into the empty chair across from Carly. He looked very dapper in his Italian black suit and indigo silk shirt. She had always thought him to be a very handsome man, and tonight was no exception. He looked so much like the suave and sophisticated man she had fallen in love with more than two years before. However, compared to the rugged and soulful exterior of the man who'd secretly held her heart all along, it just didn't seem to be enough anymore. "My assistant said that you needed to meet with me. I know that I haven't been by the house to visit with Morgan lately. I've just been so busy."

Carly wove her hand dismissively as she shook her head. "It's fine, I'm sure that Morgan understands. Whenever you get some free time, I know that he would love to see you," she assured him. She started to finger the stem of the crystal wine goblet nervously. "That's not why I asked you here actually. Jax, I need to tell you something."

The Australian eyed his wife suspiciously before taking a deep breath. So many of their conversations had started out that way, and those words were usually followed by disaster. "What is it, Carly?" he asked tiredly. "I mean, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Actually, I am better than fine. In fact, I'd dare say that this is the happiest that I've been in a very long time," she grinned suddenly. Her smile was wide but private, the meaning hidden in the wildfire burning in her sky blue eyes. He had never been able to read her looks. He'd tried too many times, but he'd never quite figured out what she was thinking. It was the one thing he had been most jealous about when it came to Jason. He knew her every sound, smile and expression. Carly reached down and pulled a manila folder from her oversized crocodile handbag and slid it across the table. "I finally signed those papers. I'm sorry that I put it off for so long. I guess I didn't want to see what was right in front of me."

Jax flipped open the folder and looked at her bold signature. She had finally signed the divorce papers. It would only take his illegible scrawl to make it official. "Why now?"

There were a lot of ways she could approach this. She could try to be tactful and keep the relationship a secret a little longer so that it didn't look like she had just jumped into bed with another man. She could be indignant and insist that it wasn't any of his business. She could rub it in his face and remind him that he was the one who wanted the divorce in the first place. However, she wouldn't do any of the things that Carly would usually do. Instead, she smiled at him sadly and started to tell him the truth with a single word, "Jason."

Burying his face in his hands, Jax attempted in vain to stifle a humorless chuckle. "Of course, Jason," he shook his head. He'd always known that there was a good chance that he could be replaced by the unfeeling mobster. It would only take him asking and Carly would go happily. The two of them loved each other so unconditionally without really knowing it. No one could compete with the bond that they shared, not that Jax hadn't tried. He had wanted to be her white knight, her saving grace, her best friend, her confidant. Instead, he had settled for being her husband. "I always knew that the two of you would figure it out. I just hoped our marriage wouldn't end because of it."

Carly looked down at her hands and tried to find the words to respond. How could she when what he had said was so true? "I won't belittle you by apologizing for it. We both know that I couldn't be sorry for loving Jason," she admitted softly. "I am sorry that I have hurt you these past two years with all of my lies. I knew that I would never be able to be everything that you need, and I shouldn't have pretended otherwise. You will make a woman very happy some day, Jax. I know that you made me one."

He could be angry about it, and a part of him was. However, the true gentlemen in him wouldn't allow himself to hurt her. They had hurt each other enough. She had tried to love him just as he had tried to love her. He had his own version of Jason somewhere in the world. He could never deny that for someone that he had loved so genuinely when he knew that Carly would want it for him. So, rather than screaming at her and humiliating himself, Jax elected for his usual classy reaction. Pulling a Mont Blanc from his inside jacket pocket, he removed the final page of the divorce decree and added his name to the line. "I guess it's over."

"I guess so," she agreed. Her eyes were misty as she looked at the papers. It was a very sad ending to a not-so-happy story. "Jax?"

"Yeah?"

"I really loved you."

"I know you did," he smiled, reaching across the table to cover her hand with his. "I loved you too, and I will never regret that."

Across town, Jason hopped off his motorcycle and pushed it up against the brick exterior of the high-rise building that housed Elizabeth's studio. He had asked her to meet him there because he couldn't stand to go to her cottage. He didn't' want Jake to even be in the same house as he was when he broke her heart. There was a good chance that she was going to get desperate, and Jason couldn't risk her using their son to make him feel guilty. This was already hard enough as it was.

It seemed like the elevator ride from the lobby to the tenth floor was excruciatingly long. He had always hated confrontations and he just wanted this one to be over. He had plans to meet Carly, Spinelli, Maxie and Morgan later for dinner at Kelly's. The five of them had become a constant fixture at Spencer family's diner. They finally had to tell Mike after the third time they had all came in together. Despite feeling sad for the pain he knew his son would feel, the older man had been supportive and seemed genuinely happy for them. He'd seen the push and pull Jason and Sonny had had over the past several years, and more than anything, he was happy for its conclusion. Carly was finally with her soulmate, and now maybe Sonny would be able to move on and find one of his own. That was what both Jason and Mike hoped for him. He deserved to be happy; they all did.

He stepped into the dim hallway and made his way to the door toward the end of the hall. He had stood her poised in this very doorway many times over the years, and each time, he'd always felt this nervous energy about seeing her. However, as he reached his hand up to knock, he only felt dread. Jason didn't want to see Elizabeth. He didn't want to have to listen to her plead or demean Carly. He just wanted this to be over. He wanted to go home to his family and listen to Maxie and Spinelli bicker and watch Morgan play and hold Carly in his arms. He didn't want to have to break a heart.

"Come in!" Elizabeth greeted him warmly as she swept open the door. He was met with the romantic glow of dozens of candles placed strategically around the room. She was dressed in a pretty yellow sundress that accentuated her curves and brought out the golden flecks in her doe eyes. He knew that she looked beautiful, but for the first time in a long time, her beauty was lost on him. The only thing he could see when he looked at her was that she wasn't Carly. That was all he needed to know. "I'm so glad that you called me. I've really been thinking a lot about you since we talked. I just want you to know that I'm not angry, Jason. I know how Carly can be. It's easy for men to get swept up in her little web, so I'm glad that you have come to your senses."

Jason bit his tongue hard to keep from snapping at her. She was partly right about Carly, even he had to acknowledge it. The thing Elizabeth didn't quite seem to get was that most men were entrapped by his favorite blonde vixen quite willingly. He had allowed her to catch him and now that she had a hold of him, he never wanted her to let him go. "I'm still with Carly, Elizabeth," he told her patiently. "Just in case you think that this is about us getting back together, you need to know now that it's not. I'm in love with her, and I have every intention of spending the rest of my life with her."

He tried to ignore the painful realization in her eyes. Elizabeth was attempting unsuccessfully to muster a brave smile. "I know that you love me, Jason. A love like ours doesn't just go away," she retorted knowingly. "You just want to protect your family from your life. I've told you that I don't need to be protected. I just want to be with you."

"And what about Jake?" he asked automatically, not missing a beat. He had heard this song and dance too many times. "You are willing to give me yourself but deny me my son. What kind of life is that, Elizabeth? What kind of family is that?"

"We both agreed that was best for him. He could be put at danger…" her voice trailed off as tears welled in her eyes. "Is that why you are doing this? Do you want to punish me?"

He lowered his eyes and shook his head sadly. The girl really had no clue. "This isn't about you at all. It's about her. It's always been about her, Elizabeth, you've said it yourself. Carly calls and I go running after her. Don't you see that I would have always run after her?" He wanted to shake her and make her see. It really wasn't about her. "And even if I didn't love Carly, I couldn't be with you. We are not a family. I love my son, but that is the only family here. Carly is my family. She is willing to let me be a father to her son. She welcomed Spinelli into her home. She is building a life with me. She wasn't worried about anyone finding out. She was proud to tell everyone."

"But you agreed," she reminded him again. Even Elizabeth had to admit that it was a weak argument. "Your life is dangerous, Jason. You wanted to keep me safe after everything happened. You were the one that pushed me away. You agreed to keep lying about Jake. This wasn't just my idea."

"No, it wasn't," he concurred. "The difference between you and Carly, though, is that you went along with it. She would have fought me at every turn. She would have pointed out how Lucky is a cop and how he could have an enemy just as easily as I do. She would have refused to let me believe that I wasn't good enough. She would have grabbed a hold of me instead of letting me push her away. You just accepted it. You didn't put up a fight until it was too late. Now that you know that you're losing me, you're getting desperate. You should have been strong for us then instead of being weak for yourself now."

"How can you walk away from me so easily? Am I that forgettable?" she nearly shouted. Her voice was heavy with unshed sobs. "Can you just leave your son behind?"

"I'm not," he shot back pointedly. "In fact, for the first time, I am actually going to fight you for him. In case you haven't figured it out, I no longer buy into the fact that I'm too dangerous to be a father. When I said that I was building a life and a family with Carly, I meant that it included Jake. He will be apart of my life and the truth is going to come out. I'm tired of lying. I want Morgan to know Jake because someday they will probably be brothers. I'll want him to know the other kids that I have with Carly. I want him to have it all."

"She will never get near my son," Elizabeth stated adamantly. "I will never let you take him."

The compassion and empathy he'd felt for the nurse up to this point was quickly being replaced with anger. "I don't want to fight with you, Elizabeth, but I will," he warned. "You should know by now that I don't like to lose. I will make sure that I get what I want. You can make it easy or you can make it hard. I don't care how long it takes, I will be a father to my son."

"Make all the threats you want, Jase, it's not going to happen."

His face became stony as he fixed his cold blue eyes on her. People had always talked about Jason's icy demeanor, but Elizabeth had never had it turned on her. "It's not a threat," he informed her bluntly. "It's a promise."

Elizabeth closed her eyes as the tears brimmed over. This was not at all how this afternoon was supposed to go. She had truly – stupidly – believed that he would remember everything that he loved about her if he showed up to her studio today. They had shared so much here throughout their friendship and relationship. As she opened her eyes to speak, she was met with yet another thing they would share. She winced as the loud echo of the slamming door vibrated through the small studio. That lonely sound was the sound of their final goodbye.


	13. Point Thirteen

"Come on, Morgan! Why don't we play another song? You've already listened to this one ten times since we got here," Spinelli implored desperately, drawing the attention of two blondes to the corner of the small diner. Morgan stood on top of a chair as he leaned over the brightly lit jukebox with a stack of quarters clutched tightly in his small hand. Spinelli by his side, taking turns sipping his bubbly orange soda and begging that the little boy select another musical selection. Jason was on the other side, chuckling quietly as he listened to the two of them interact.

The newest version of the Morgan family was enjoying a rare night of normalcy at Kelly's after what had proven to be a trying day for Carly and Jason. Both of them had had the inevitable talks with their prospective exes. Jax had been the picture of grace and maturity, taking the end of his marriage in stride, while Elizabeth had shown her true desperation to hang onto Jason at any and all costs. Neither of their reactions had done anything to deter Carly and Jason's plans for the future. They both knew what they wanted for the first time in a very long time and they had every intention of making sure that they finally got it. Now, as they enjoyed hamburgers and fries from Port Charles' favorite greasy spoon, they felt like a real family for the first time. If it wasn't for the ominous guards standing outside the door and the slight bulge of Jason's gun at his waist, they could almost pretend that they were just any other family. However, that didn't matter; Carly wouldn't want to pretend that they were anything other than what they were. She happened to love what they had become.

Carly looked over to the corner where Jason was reading the titles of songs to Morgan, offering his opinion on the various tracks when the little boy asked questions. Spinelli would chime in periodically with a random fact he had undoubtedly come across in the countless hours he spent prowling cyberspace. Jason seemed completely at ease and wasn't even bothered by the useless trivia. In fact, he was enjoying just hanging out as the three guys. Morgan looked up to Spinelli like an older brother, and Jason had come to think of the awkward hacker almost like a son. It felt fitting that his two "boys" meshed together so well. Carly had taken him in instantly, showering him with attention and mothering him relentlessly. Jason had worried that it would be overbearing for someone not used to having that sort of female presence in his life, but Spinelli seemed to thrive on it. He liked being apart of their family and had repeatedly thanked him for making room for them in their lives.

The one part of the situation that Jason still wasn't quite used to happened to be the other blonde at Kelly's with them. In the months since Georgie's death, Jason had been a witness to the transformation in the young woman's life. She had gone from being a destructive, selfish little girl to a strong, brave woman. She had flourished under Spinelli's friends, love and devotion. It was a path very similar to the growth Carly had experienced when she had become Jason's best friend. As he caught her eye from across the room, he couldn't help but wonder where Maxie and Spinelli would be in ten years. He hoped that it wouldn't take them as long to find their way together, but if it did, he hoped that they enjoyed the ride as much as he had.

Brushing her hand through her hair, Carly felt herself blush under Jason's intense gaze before he smiled and turned his attention back to the jukebox. More than ten years after he'd first caught her eye over the edge of a pool table in a smoky bar, Jason still had the ability to send chills racing up her spine. She giggled to herself as she watched the three guys, covering her mouth to hide her secret smile.

"What's that all about, Carly?" Maxie asked with a knowing grin. She had been around Carly and Jason enough to know how they had looks and sounds for every situation. She had witnessed their ability to connect with such intensity from a single glance. Even a cynic like Maxie knew that was a special thing. It was something she thought maybe she would have with Spinelli if he was crazy enough to stick around for that long. "I can't get over how cute the two of you are sometimes. It's like you live in your own little world where no one else exists. It's just your little love in that bubble, isn't it?"

"Sometimes. There is something about being able to read a man's mind that can be very appealing at times, especially when you know he is thinking about how much he loves you," Carly admitted as she looked over at her fellow blonde. She understood Maxie in a way that probably no one else could. They were both impulsive and had the uncanny ability to destroy the lives of the people that they loved most. "I guess that I don't have to tell you that though, do I? I mean, it's obvious that you share that with Spinelli."

Maxie folded her hands nervously in front of her on the table, trying to find an easy way to escape the question. It was easy to pretend that there was only a close friendship with Spinelli if she never let herself think about it or talk about it. "Spinelli has been a really good friend to me since Georgie died. If it hadn't been for him, I don't think I could have gotten over losing my sister or Coop," she revealed. "He came into my life at a time when I really needed someone, and now, he is someone I can't imagine living without. He sees me for who I really am and doesn't judge me for it. Given my history, I figure it's pretty rare that someone is going to not care about that stuff."

"Well, considering my past, I can't say that I really have the room to judge anyone either, Maxie. We all make mistakes, and I think that's okay. The important part is to learn from them. I'm not always sure that I've done that, but even when I didn't, Jason never held anything against me," she explained. "No matter what I did, Jason knew that the best thing he could do was love me. That's it, just love me. If you let him, I think Spinelli could do the same thing. I know it seems really scary, but I promise you that it will be the best decision that you ever make."

Turning her wide blue eyes to the scruffy hacker who was tickling Morgan, Maxie considered what it would mean to open her heart up to that possibility. It would mean risking everything that meant anything to her. "I know that he loves me. He's said it before, but even if he didn't, I would know it. You'd have to love me to put up with some of the things that I have put him through."

A knowing laugh escaped past Carly's frosted pink lips. Maxie and Spinelli really were Carly and Jason ten years ago. They were so sure they had everything figured out that they couldn't see what was right in front of them. They were so in love with each other that no one else would ever be able to compare. It was the curse that had plagued every relationship Carly and Jason had ever had. It was a refreshing thing to be looking at the situation from the other side of the mess, knowing that they were finally together. "There have been a lot of people over the years who have questioned how Jason could ever love me. They didn't see me the way that he saw me. They only saw the hell that I put him through. They saw me as selfish, domineering and a walking disaster, and they were probably right a lot of the time," Carly shrugged. "The thing they didn't see was that I usually didn't have to ask him to help me. He just showed up. He wanted to be there for me because he knew that I would do the same thing for him. Jason never cared what the other people thought because he loved me. I'm pretty sure Spinelli feels the same way."

For the first time, Maxie could see herself in Carly. She knew that they were destructive and self-centered when it came to their own lives. However, when it came to the men that they loved, they would do anything for them. They were vulnerable and didn't know how to do anything halfway. When they loved, they gave it everything they had. "How did you know that Jason was perfect for you?"

"Almost perfect for me," Carly smiled, reminding Maxie of the online dating profile that had started everything. "Honestly, there are a lot of things that make Jason perfect for me. He fills the places where I come up empty, while matching the places where we need to be the same. He is my beginning and my end and my everything in between."

"That's so romantic," Maxie cooed. Her eyes danced as she thought about having that same epic love story with Spinelli. Was it possible that they could be Port Charles' next super couple? If someone had proposed the idea a year ago, she would have insisted that they were completely out of their minds. However, he wasn't the same bumbling fool who had showed up at Wyndamere the night of the Black and White Ball completely in love with Lulu. He was the kind, caring, sweet man who had fallen in love with Maxie over the course of a series of adventures spanning the last year. "Carly, I'm glad that you are with Jason. It's the first time I've really seen him happy since I started coming around."

"He likes you, you know? I mean, Jase would never admit it, but I see the fond way he smiles at Spinelli and you when you start bickering. It reminds him of the two of us when we were closer to your age," Carly professed with a smile. "You fit a place in his life. You're like a little sister to him. I think he has missed that since he lost Emily. You might challenge him at times and you definitely drive him crazy, but Jason would do anything for you."

There had been a time when Maxie had looked at Jason Morgan as nothing more than a cold and calculating mobster who killed for a living. After being the police commissioner's daughter and dating two cops, she couldn't imagine how a man could ever take a life so heartlessly. But being on the other side of the proverbial gun had shown her that everything wasn't always so black and white. There were reasons and consequences for every decision. Jason was a good man, and he did what he felt he had to do for the people that he cared about. Just like Mac, each decision he made was to protect the people around him, from his family to his employees. It was a hard line to walk, and she didn't envy either of them for the awesome responsibility they lived with each and every day. "Jason has done a lot for me. I will never be able to repay him for everything he has given me," she conceded. "I never thought I would understand him, but now I can't imagine my life without him. I understand why he means so much to you and Spinelli. By the way, I'm not the only one with a newfound connection. You should hear the way that he talks about the Valkyrie."

Carly grinned and shook her head at the mention of her nickname. She'd always loved the way that Spinelli saw her. "Spinelli is a very special guy. He fits perfectly into this family of black sheep, don't you think? We're all outcasts of our individual families when you think about it. I've never been the picture of the Spencer clan, and Jason would rather chew nails then admit he's a Quartermaine by birth. You're pretty much the exact opposite of Robin and Georgie, and Spinelli doesn't even have a family. However, when you put the four of us together with Morgan in the middle, we make sense."

The two women exchanged a smile of mutual understanding before Spinelli called Maxie over to help them pick out a song. She politely excused herself from the messy table to scamper over and help Morgan with the task at hand. In the mean time, Jason sauntered over to rejoin Carly as she watched her family. "I don't think they're ever going to find anything," he announced as he slid into the chair next to her. He reached over and kissed her briefly before leaning back in his seat to watch the kids. "Spinelli might as well give up. Morgan is going to keep picking that song."

"Probably, he's pretty stubborn like both of his parents. I keep hoping that he'll take after you and defy nature, but I think there is just too much of Sonny and me in there for him to have any chance at that," she grinned at Jason. "Would you just look at them, Jase? That's our family."

He looked across the room to where her proud gaze rested on Spinelli, Maxie and Morgan. "Yeah, that is," he agreed with adamant pride. "It's only going to grow from here too, Carly."

"And to think, it all started with little old you and me," she teased as he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her chair closer to him. She leaned against him as they laughed together, remembering a time when everything had seemed so complicated but had actually been very simple. Their private moment was interrupted when a satisfied Morgan returned, laughing happily as his favorite song filled the room. Maxie joined in on his celebratory giggles while a defeated Spinelli collapsed into a chair. "What do you think, gang? Dessert?"

"Ice cream sundaes!" Morgan and Maxie exclaimed in unison, finally bringing a smile to Spinelli's face. Jason chuckled before calling Mike over so that the five of them could make their customized orders. When he disappeared back toward the kitchen, the family fell into an easy pattern of conversation.

"How are things going at the magazine, Maxie?" Carly asked as she leaned across Jason and took a long sip of Spinelli's orange soda. She was starting to have an appreciation for the citrus soft drink thanks to the endless supply in their kitchen. "Kate's not being too hard on you, is she? I could talk to her."

"Things are fine, actually. Spinelli is actually helping me streamline some of the organization we use for the fashion closet. It's the same system he devised for the coffee shop, Jason," Maxie told him while attempting to snatch one of the fries from his plate. Jason shot her a look before swatting her hand away. "You wouldn't shut up that one day about how it cut your overstock in half, so I thought we'd try it at Crimson."

"Yeah, it was actually one of your better ideas," Jason taunted Spinelli good-naturedly. "You still have those every once in awhile when you harness all of your attention on work instead of Maxie."

"Jason, how many times do I have to tell you to quit being so mean to Spinelli?" Maxie cried. "You apologize right now."

Spinelli held his hands up in front of his chest. "No apologies necessary, Maxamista," he assured his best friend with a warm smile. "Stone Cold is right. I do have a tendency to let my mind wander when I am otherwise occupied."

"Well, I think it's romantic that you are so captivated by someone else that you can't concentrate," Carly comforted him. "It's been known to impact even the strongest of men, hasn't it, Jase?"

The usually stoic man blushed at Carly's little reveal of his hidden secret. She had recently found her name doodled on top of some contracts he'd buried on his desk at the office. He would have been more embarrassed had it not been for the way her eyes lit up when she saw them. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't, Jason," Maxie ribbed. "You never get it."

"You're one to talk, Blondie," he shot back with a daring grin.

"Wait, hold up," she giggled, clutching her heart in mock shock. "Was that a joke?"

Carly elbowed Spinelli and smiled proudly. "See, I told you he can be funny."

Spinelli looked stunned. "I thought it was the one thing he couldn't excel at."

Jason looked between the three of them seriously as Morgan spoke up for the first time in minutes. "Don't you guys know that Jason is good at everything?"

The little boy's innocent observation was enough to set off another wave of laughter amongst the four adults around the table. Morgan soon joined in for no other reason that it seemed like the thing to do. There were a lot of things that didn't make sense about the five of them together, much like Carly had pointed out earlier. However, as they sat together in a small café in a quiet New York town, they were perfect collectively because they were a family.


	14. Point Fourteen

"I swear, I think you leave your coat at home on purpose just so that I will have to give you mine," Jason grumbled good-naturedly as he slid off his leather coat and wrapped it around Carly's bare arms. He slammed the door shut to the dark SUV and reached for her hand as he led her to General Hospital. Carly fell in step beside him, her small hand barely peaking out from the long sleeve of his coat. He still loved how good she looked in his coat. "I know how long it takes you to talk to your mom, but we really do have to keep this short. Morgan will be out of school in an hour, and we're supposed to meet the kids at home for an early dinner since I have to work tonight."

Carly looked up at him and smiled widely at the easy way he talked about Spinelli, Maxie and Morgan as if they had been a family forever. It certainly felt like they had been sometimes with the easy way that they all fit together. "You're the one who insisted on doing it today like this. I told you that we could have everyone over for a nice dinner, but no, you just wanted a brief conversation. My mom is going to have questions, you know. She's been rooting for us to be together forever and now that we finally are, she might want details."

"Can't you ever keep anything just between the two of us?" he teased as they came into the hospital and headed for the elevators. He didn't let go of her hand as he reached up and punched the button for the seventh floor. "It's not like I am going to tell my family all of the details. Just tell your mom what she needs to know so that we can get home in time to eat a meal like a normal family."

"Normal isn't our thing, remember? Come on, Jase. I know that you don't exactly have this thing with your family where you tell them everything, but I really want to have a better relationship with my mom. I haven't exactly spent much time with her lately, so I kind of owe her this," she tried to explain. She knew that it was hard for Jason to understand the abstract, but he understood the meaning of family. She saw his definition of the word every time he looked at her. "Besides, I don't tell my mom _everything_. I keep the juiciest details for Maxie and Lulu!"

He shot her a withering look as they stepped off the lift and onto the seventh floor. He was always telling her that she was too open about their relationship with Maxie and Lulu. The Spencer blonde didn't really bother him much because she wasn't around these days, but Maxie never failed to let Jason forget that he could be almost a sweetheart when it came to Carly. "I'm serious, Carly, we have to keep it short."

"Okay, I will do my best," she promised as they stopped just beside the nurse's station. Carly didn't even bother to look around for anyone as she stood on her tip toes and wrapped her arms around Jason's neck. He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers softly before she drew his face back to hers for a longer kiss. "I'll meet you back here in forty-five minutes. That should give us plenty of time to get home to our kids."

"Our kids," he repeated with a smile as he pulled her the rest of the way over to the desk. They were too busy looking at each other to notice who was standing behind the desk. Carly was blushing at the prideful look on Jason's face as his eyes danced with a familiar mischief she'd seen only in the bedroom. "Can you page Dr. Monica Quartermaine and Nurse Bobbie Spencer for us?"

Carly and Jason finally looked up when his request was met with an uncomfortable silence. An embarrassed and clearly hurt Elizabeth was frozen behind the keyboard of one of the computer terminals behind the desk. Nadine whisked in front of the nurse and picked up the phone. She paged the doctor and nurse in a professional and cheerful voice before setting the receiver back down. "They should be right down."

"Thanks, Nadine!" Carly said cheerfully as she leaned on the counter. She had gotten to know the blonde nurse somewhat since she had sold off her half of the hotel shares to Nikolas Cassadine. Jax hadn't been too happy about the arrangement at first, but after pointing out how much Courtney would love the fact that Spencer was going to inherit a hotel that was named after her, he had actually relented pretty easily. "Spinelli wanted me to invite you over for our movie night on Thursday. It's Jason's night at the warehouse and Maxie has this fashion event. He thought you might want to hang out if you're not busy."

"I'll have to check with Nikolas," Nadine said with a bright smile at the mention of their mutual computer hacker friend. Despite her previous reservations about the domineering blonde, Nadine was actually beginning to like Carly. She had finally gotten to see a lot of the good qualities that Spinelli spoke of with such fondness. "Here's your mom. I have to get down to pediatrics. I'll call you!"

Carly nodded after the nurse as she turned around to meet the surprised gaze of her mother. The redheaded nurse lit up as she hugged Carly tightly. "Well, this is certainly a surprise. It's anyone barely ever gets to see me anymore."

"Elizabeth, did someone page me?" a busy Monica Quartermaine called as she came up from the other side. She didn't look up at her charts as she discarded a file on the counter and replaced it with another. "Elizabeth, did you hear me?"

"Uh, actually, I had her page you for me," Jason announced as he let go of Carly's hand and came around to greet his mother. Monica looked even more surprised at Jason's presence than Bobbie had Carly's. "I know you're at work, but I was hoping that you could take a break. I need to talk to you about something. You know that I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Monica tried not to look too stunned as she slid her clipboard back onto the counter. "Sure, we can talk in my office. Elizabeth, please see that Mr. Gomez in 714 gets his medication and hold all my calls. I'll check in here again when I'm back on duty."

Wanting to protest but knowing that she couldn't, Elizabeth agreed obediently as she watched the mother and son disappear down the hallway toward the private offices reserved for top hospital staff. She knew that Carly and Jason had come to the hospital to finally tell their mothers about their relationship. It was just the next step they were taking in building the family that Jason had nearly thrown in her face. It was hard not to hate him when she saw the easy way he walked around this hospital as if he had never broken he heart. He'd certainly never professed his love for her to his mother before. If anything, Jason had been adamant about hiding her from the world. He had been the one who agreed to all the things she had proposed nearly two years ago when she had found out she was pregnant with Jake. It was still hard for her to fathom how that secretive and petrified man could be so brazen about his relationship with Carly. She wasn't sure how Carly had pulled it off, but she had managed to convince Jason that she was the one woman he could actually trust. As much as she didn't want to admit it, Elizabeth knew there was an ease between Jason and Carly that they'd never had.

"Yes, Lizzie, can you do the same thing here for my mother? I have something very important to talk to her about, and we cannot be bothered," Carly insinuated. She knew that it was a juvenile move, but she couldn't resist the urge to get under the wholesome nurse's skin. Elizabeth walked around as if she was untouchable, but Carly knew exactly what it took to shatter the woman. "Come on, Mama, I'm going to buy you a cup of coffee."

Bobbie knew her daughter well enough not to ask any questions about her obvious animosity toward Elizabeth. She cared greatly about both women and knew the fine line they walked when it came to one subject in particular. There was only one person that could ever stir up that much fire and passion in Carly. It was clear that her daughter had come here to talk to her about Jason. However, she held off on saying anything else until they were comfortably settled in a private corner of the hospital cafeteria. "Alright, Carly, what gives?"

Carly smiled brightly, the joy taking over her entire face. She couldn't help but hide behind her hands embarrassedly. Whereas Jason could play it cool when he told Monica, she was beyond giddy. It was the balance that both needed in their lives. While she had the tendency to get over excited, Jason had the habit of not getting quite fired up enough. "Jason and I are together."

"Oh, honey!" Bobbie exclaimed happily as she reached across the table to hug her daughter. Carly was right; she had always been rooting for the two best friends to get together. They belonged together, and no one had ever loved Carly as selflessly or as completely as Jason had. He hadn't destroyed her like Sonny or had unrealistic expectations of her like Jax or misunderstood her like Lorenzo. As complicated as it was at time, the love between Carly and Jason was pure, innocent and simple. "I am so happy for you. What happened? Tell me everything!"

"Would you believe that it all started with a stupid online dating profile?" she giggled, earning an amused look from her mother. "You see, after Jax decided that he wanted a divorce or he was going to leave me again or whatever, Spinelli and Maxie were determined to find someone to keep my mind off things. Well, apparently, Maxie was also determined to find someone for Jason. We ended up matching on nearly everything."

"So you just randomly found out you were perfect for each other?"

"Kind of, not really," Carly tried to explain. "I took it over there to show Jason and it just spiraled out of control. We ended up having a conversation entirely different from what I had showed up at his penthouse to have. I think we both finally admitted the things we had wanted to hide for so long. I won't act like it was easy because it wasn't. It was just…right, I guess. The time was right for our confessions. I still love Jason, and I never stopped. I don't think I will."

"And he loves you," Bobbie said knowingly. It wasn't a question but a statement. She knew that the mobster loved her daughter. While in a perfect world, she might not have wanted Carly's soulmate to be Jason, in this world she knew that they were exactly right for each other. "What does Morgan think?"

Carly ran her fingers through her hair as her smile softened even more. "He's thrilled. You know how much he loves Jason and that the feeling is mutual. Morgan is really excited to have Jason around," she replied. "Jason and Spinelli are actually going to move in with us pretty soon. They've been staying there a lot with Maxie. We're kind of this little family now. I haven't been this happy in a very long time."

Bobbie was genuinely happy for her daughter, but she knew that the happiness came at a cost. There were questions of safety that would have to be answered every day of their lives, and the lack of one child's presence would forever be one of those answers. There were other people she knew wouldn't approve as well. "What about Sonny? Does he know?" she asked. "Have you told anyone else? How about Jax and Elizabeth?"

"Well, Jax didn't take it too horribly," she laughed humorlessly. "Honestly, he was the only one who didn't throw it back in our face. Elizabeth doesn't seem to want to accept it and Sonny sees it all as betrayal. I guess I get her point because I mean, it's Jason. He's not that easy to get over, I should know. Sonny, though, I'm just tired of his games. I'm not playing into it this time. I can't lose Jason because of his jealousy. I've lost too much already because of him, but I won't lose this family because Sonny can't handle it."

As a bystander in the hurricane that had been Carly and Sonny's multiple marriages, Bobbie knew firsthand how sordid it was between those two. However, she also could see by her daughter's confidence stance that she meant business. She wasn't about to let go of her second chance with Jason. "You seem really happy, honey. I am so happy for you."

"Oh, I am, Mama!" she cried as she squeezed her mother's hand and looked into her eyes. It had taken her a long time to get here, to a place where everything felt almost perfect. There were still moments every day that were hard but having Jason to hold her as they passed made it more bearable. "I think I finally really am."

Meanwhile, down the hall, Jason shifted nervously in the uncomfortable armchair as he looked up at his mother. He had never been one for confession and rarely felt anything in his life was important enough to share with the Quartermaines. However, having a family that he was proud of was something that he really wanted them to know about. It was the first thing he had done right in a long time, and after the year that Monica had, she deserved to share in his joy. If she could only he happy for him, he knew that he wouldn't regret taking the risk of coming here today. "So, I guess you saw me come in with Carly."

"I saw her talking with Bobbie," Monica acknowledged with an awkward smile. She never really knew what to make of Jason's relationship with Carly. "Is she why you're here to talk to me? Did something happen that I should know about?"

Jason nodded silently as he looked up at his mother with twinkling blue eyes. She was surprised at what she saw in them. They weren't cold or disconnected like they usually were. Instead, he actually looked happy. "Carly and I are together now," he said finally. "I'm in love with her. We're going to build a family."

Monica had long waited for the day when she heard that Jason and Carly had finally reunited. She had expected the news to come from Bobbie or idle hospital gossip or the society pages of the town newspaper. She hadn't thought that her son would ever show up and tell her that himself. "You seem genuinely happy, Jason. I'm glad for you."

"I know that you don't like her, and you don't have to. That's not why I'm here. I just wanted you to hear it from me," he assured her. "It was important to Carly that the family knows. It was important to me, too."

"Well, I appreciate that," she thanked him graciously. She really wasn't sure how to proceed. She knew that it only took one false misstep to send Jason back into that protective shell he had around him. "I know how much Carly means to you. The two of you have always shared something very special."

"Carly is my best friend and was my family even before I understood what that really meant," he said without thinking. He sometimes forgot that the Quartermaines were his family because it didn't always feel like they were. However, that had changed some in the past couple years, especially with Monica. He knew that he was the only one she had left in a lot of ways. "Listen, I know that I haven't been the son you always needed me to be, and that's probably not going to change. But I want you to be apart of the new life I'm building with Carly. I want you to get to know Carly better as well as Morgan, Spinelli and even Maxie. They matter a lot to me, and I think that if you gave them the chance, they might mean a lot to you, too."

"I would like, Jason," she murmured as her son rose to his feet and came around the desk to hug her tightly. She struggled to push back her tears as he embraced her, knowing that it would likely be a very long time before she got the chance to see him like this again.

Jason walked with his mother back to the nurse's station so that she could return to work and he could find Carly. He was happy to see her already waiting for him along with Bobbie near the desk. "Congratulations," Bobbie whispered as she went into to hug him. He was stiff but still managed to murmur his thanks. He caught his mother's eye over Bobbie's shoulder as she hugged Carly awkwardly. It was uncomfortable but it was a start.

"I really need to get back to work," Monica excused herself. "Carly, why doesn't your family come over for dinner next week? I'll have Cook make something casual. I'd like to spend some time getting to know Spinelli and Morgan."

"And we'll have brunch next Sunday!" Bobbie called over her should as she disappeared down the hallway.

Carly and Jason turned to each other with tired smiles as their mothers disappeared. Jason couldn't help but laugh as he pressed his forehead to hers. She entwined her fingers in his and chuckled with him. "Everyone knows," he whispered as he kissed her briefly.

"And to think, the world didn't end," she joked lightly. She pulled Jason toward the elevator, keeping their hands linked. "I think they're happy for us."

Those were the last words Elizabeth heard as the elevator doors slid shut. She stifled the scream that had been brewing at the back of her throat before pulling her cell phone from its hiding place under the counter. Scanning through the address book, she dialed a number usually reserved only for emergencies. She never really had a reason to call but this certainly constituted a dire situation. "Hey, it's Elizabeth," she chirped darkly. "I need to see you."


	15. Point Fifteen

Carly was already running late to pick up Morgan from a play date with one of the kids from school when she decided to stop by Kelly's on a whim. She had been craving some of the spiced animal fritters that Mike made especially for her at this time of the year and thought that she would pick some up for dessert. Morgan was going to help Spinelli and Jason make dinner for her and Maxie. It was apart of an assignment at Morgan's school designed to help the children learn to do things for others while spending time with their family.

"Milo, thanks for driving me today," she told the bodyguard as he helped her out of the passenger seat of the black SUV he had been assigned to escort her around in. While he was still working primarily for Sonny, he still moonlighted for Jason when it came to protecting the former Mrs. C and Morgan. He would fill in every once in awhile when his old friend called on him, a favor to his brother as much as it was Jason. "I know that it's not exactly what you had in mind when Jase called this morning, but my usual driver had to fly back to Mexico to visit a sick grandmother."

"It's no problem, Carly," he assured her as he held open the front door of Kelly's for her. The truth was that although it could be trying watching over Carly whenever she got an idea in her head, it was never a boring task when the assignment fell your way. He liked spending time with both her and Morgan because it felt more like family than a job. In addition to Jason appreciating the favor, it also paid really well. "You're a little more talkative than a lot of the other people I spend my days with, and I'm keeping you safe. Max misses being on Carly detail, you know."

"Aw, Max," she murmured as she came into the small café. She was just about to confide that she missed the burly guard that had kept watch over her for years when she caught sight of a very curious pairing in the corner. Carly narrowed her eyes as she glanced at Elizabeth and Sonny bent over the table in deep conversation. Grabbing Milo's hand, she yanked him back outside so that she could spy through the windows. "Okay, what is going on there?"

Milo peaked curiously through the glass to see the mismatched couple talking alone in the rear of the restaurant. "Uh oh, that cannot be good," he muttered under his breath. He could see Carly rocking on her heels anxiously, trying to make sense of it in her head. "Carly, I don't know what you're planning on doing, but you need to call Jason or something."

"Yeah, he'll just tell me to count to ten. I don't really feel like being calm right now, so I'm going to opt not to call him if you don't mind," she snapped before starting to pace impatiently along the sidewalk. "I cannot believe that the two of them are in there. You know that they're just trying to come up with a plan to destroy Jason and me! I should have known that one of them would go to the other for revenge. Of course Little Lizzie couldn't just take it like a big girl. No, she had to run to Sonny and come up with a plan to break us up. I told Jason that girl was trouble years ago but would he listen to me? No! Ugh, do you see why I can't stand her?"

Having been around Carly long enough to know not to get into her way when she was in the middle of her rant, Milo kept his mouth tightly shut until he was sure that she was out of breath. He wasn't about to defend Elizabeth. In fact, he had always been a proud member of Team Carly, hoping that his friend and former boss would open his cold blue eyes wide enough to see what he had in front of him. "Carly, come on. You have Jason now. Sonny and Elizabeth can try whatever they want, but it won't work," Milo tried to explain to her. "You know that Jason loves you. The two of you are stronger than anything they could throw your way."

Impulsive at best and completely destructive at worst, she knew that Milo was right. "Gosh, you just had to ruin my fun, didn't you?" she smiled as she looked back into the diner again. "I mean, come on, you're right. Milo, I'm going to make sure that Jason gives you the Saving Carly from Crisis bonus. And yes, I know that bonus exists. One of the other guys got in last week when I almost screamed at that woman who was checking out Jason's ass at Jake's. You guys are always ruining my good times."

Milo chuckled at the vivacious blonde and her deep knowledge of how things ran in the organization. She was unfazed by the realities of her world and unapologetic for living right in the middle of it. An entire book could be written on the stipulations Jason had created for watching over Carly, from the signs of her impending plans of disaster to the proper respect protocol they were each expected to treat his best friend with. "Would you do me a favor and just call Jason anyhow? He needs to know what we saw, and somehow I think it would be better coming from you."

Carly shrugged as she took the offered cell phone from the bodyguard. It was already ringing as she tucked it against her shoulder. "Hey, Jase," she greeted him softly when his comforting voice filled her ear. She couldn't help but smile every time she heard him. "You'll never guess what I just saw."

Usually when Jason received these calls, it ended with a too-long conversation on something for the house that he would never notice but she insisted they needed. Considering that he would give into almost anything if it meant her being happy and him being rewarded with a kiss, he was willing to endure the conversations any time she wanted to have one. "Let me guess. It was the chenille coverlet at Wyndham's last week. Did you finally find the right rug for Morgan's bathroom? That is your latest makeover project, isn't it?"

She had to giggle at how well he knew her and the fact that he actually listened to her even when she was sure he had long tuned out. "Actually, it's Spinelli's bathroom, but that's not why I'm calling," she retorted. "Sonny is at Kelly's right now. He's with Elizabeth."

"Elizabeth?" Jason repeated. He knew as well as she did that nothing good could come out of the two of them talking. "Carly, don't do anything. I'm at the warehouse right now. I can be there in five minutes. We'll talk to them together. Just hold tight."

"I wasn't going to do anything, Jase. We don't have to confront them," she assured him as she walked away from Milo for additional privacy. The old Carly would have insisted on remedying the situation right now, but this one was actually confident in what Milo had reminded her. "I'm going to leave this one up to you. While every instinct in me wants to go rip out every piece of Little Lizzie's hair, I'm going to take a deep breath and count to ten. When they're done having their insipid conversation, they still have to go home alone. I get to come to you and our family."

"God, I love you," he had to tell her. That was exactly the perfect thing to say. Just when Jason thought he knew everything there was about Carly, she found little ways like this to completely surprise him. That was one thing that was so different about them. While he was a man of routine and predictability, she thrived on throwing curve balls. He loved that about her. "Just hang out for a minute and I'll be right there. It's better that we deal with this now rather than let Sonny's unjustifiable jealousy make a bigger mess later on."

Carly agreed with Jason before hanging up the phone and handing it back over to Milo. "Thanks, Milo," she said as she sat down at one of the metal tables on the sidewalk. The bodyguard sat silently beside her before looking around to do his routine surveillance check of the premises. "Jase will be here soon. I'm sure that he'll give you the rest of the day off for averting yet another Carly disaster."

True to his word, it only took Jason a few minutes to make it to the Spencer-owned establishment. Carly sprinted toward him as soon as he came around the corner, throwing herself into his leather-clad arms. He swept her up in a deep kiss, not caring for once who saw them or that they were being so affectionate in public. "I missed you this morning," she whispered as he pressed another kiss to her forehead. He had left early to try to get a jumpstart on paperwork so that he could make it home in time to help Spinelli and Morgan with the dinner preparations. "By the way, I love you, too."

Setting Carly back to her feet, he entwined their fingers together before leading her over to where Milo was posted outside the café. "Thanks, Milo. You can have the afternoon off," he dismissed him with a grateful nod. Milo returned the nod before heading toward the parking lot. When they were alone, Jason followed Carly over to the window. "Yeah, that doesn't look good."

Jason marched into the intimate dining establishment and walked straight over to the corner in the table. Carly stayed behind him despite wanting to lunge in Elizabeth's face. If she showed the smallest sign of insecurity about her relationship, the two of them would surely find a way to capitalize on it. "Hey, guys!" Carly chirped in an overly eager tone. "I didn't know that you guys were hanging out now. We should totally double date!"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes at Carly while Sonny simply rolled his eyes. "Carly, if you don't mind, Sonny and I were having a private conversation," Elizabeth announced primly. Carly would have given anything to wipe that holier than thou look off her pathetic little face. "Hello, Jason."

Carly scoffed automatically at the young woman's obliviousness. She was kidding herself if she thought that talking to Sonny was going to make a man like Jason Morgan jealous. "Uh, yeah," Jason replied before looking over at his former business partner. "Listen, I'm not sure what the two of you have planned, but I can trust that it's nothing good. I just want to tell you up front that Carly and I are not going to play your games. We were upfront and honest with both of you about our relationship. It's obvious that we care about each other. I will not let anything or _anyone_ come between us."

Elizabeth shivered involuntarily at the underlying threat in Jason's statement. "We just ran in to each other, Jase, it's no big deal," she lied. She had called Sonny here to see if they could devise a plan to break them up. She had thought about trying Jax first, but the Aussie businessman was already canoodling with his business partner, Kate Howard, all over Port Charles. "There isn't anything to be jealous of here."

"I told you not to call me Jase," he reminded her curtly. "As for being jealous, that's your game, Elizabeth, not mine. I understand that you're hurt, but doing this isn't going to make you feel better. It's not going to work either. I am with Carly now. You'd be better off if you could just accept it."

"Jason, you have said it yourself. Carly and I always find our way back together," Sonny said with that low and menacing tone that people somehow found intimidating. Jason could see right through his thin veneer to the scared little boy from Bensonhurst with something to prove. "What makes you think that this time is going to be any different?"

"I'll tell you why it's different, Sonny," Carly piped up hotly. "Jason is why it's different. I only came back to you because I was scared to admit how in love with him I really was. I knew that I could have you anytime I wanted. You're easy to get and walk away from. It means a little – no, a lot – more when it's Jason and me."

It was Elizabeth's turn to scoff at Carly. "You have got to be kidding me. You fell for those lines too?" she asked. "I've heard them all before. I love you, Elizabeth. I want to spend my life with you, Elizabeth. You're the only one I care about, Elizabeth. You're not the first person he's said those things to, Carly."

"Maybe not," she shrugged, "but I might be the first one he actually said those things to and meant it. You see, Jason already has a family with me. What does he have with you? That's right, a son that you won't let him claim and that's it. I see right through your game, Little Lizzie. In a former life, I would probably have played along with it. Instead, I think I am going to go with Jason to pick up our little boy so that we can go home and have dinner with Spinelli and Maxie. We'll all probably watch a movie on the couch later before we put Morgan to bed. Then, I plan on making love to him all night in the bed that we share together."

With that, Carly grabbed a hold of Jason's wrist firmly and pulled him out of the diner. While a part of her knew that she shouldn't have engaged Elizabeth for as long as she had, the bigger part of her had to admit that it felt pretty damn good to rub it in the nurse's face. "You don't have to say it, Jase," she declared as she followed him to the car. "I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. She had it coming to her."

Jason stopped and grabbed Carly by the waist before backing her up against the brick exterior of the building. Pressing her body to his, he captured her mouth in a deep kiss that left them both completely breathless. "All night, you say?" he asked innocently before planting another kiss on her wet, swollen lips.

"That's an affirmative, Mr. Morgan," she cooed as she slid off his body and pulled him by the collar to the car so that they could get home.


	16. Point Sixteen

A very nervous Jason sat behind his desk staring absently at the brick wall as he listened to Diane Miller ramble on and on. He didn't mind paying her a ridiculously generous retainer to let her handle all of his legal headaches so that he didn't have to worry about them. Other than his regularly scheduled arrest every other week, he was able to leave most of those decisions in her very capable hands. Diane liked the challenges his world presented, even if she would never agree with the code that he lived by. She had basically been able to drop every other client once she had secured the Corinthos-Morgan organization a few years ago, and she had been among the many employees to make the change during the successful transition of power. She actually preferred working for Jason because he was more careful about his decisions. He was equally as demanding as Sonny but at least he always apologized after he yelled at her.

However, she had not been called into his office on this particular Tuesday afternoon to discuss his latest arrest or to negotiate contracts or to hammer out another trade agreement with the dock workers. Diane had been summoned to handle a highly classified personal matter that only a handful of people had been privy to over the past two years. His lawyer was the only person within the organization to know the true paternity of his son, and she had kept the secret as much out of friendship as professional obligation. When he had decided to start the process of taking his rightful place as Jake's father, he had known that he would have to consult Diane. While it was highly likely that she would be apprehensive given what had happened with Michael, Jason knew that she would do whatever was asked of her. It wasn't her place to ultimately judge his motives; it was only her job to make sure that those whims were fulfilled.

Carly reached across the desk and took his shaking hand in hers. She knew that even considering this was difficult for Jason. She had to admit that it was just as hard for her. Even though she had never said the words out loud, Carly was secretly a little jealous of Jake. She knew that no matter how much Jason loved her, there would always be someone out there that he loved more. She knew that it was silly to be envious of a child, especially when his heart had more than enough room for the entire family. More than anything, she supposed that she was still just a little hurt that someone had given something that she couldn't. Maybe her jealously wasn't really directed toward Jake at all; as much as it killed her to admit it, maybe she was actually jealous of Elizabeth.

"I have to tell you, Jason, we are looking at a very long struggle ahead of us. In addition to the paternity tests that the court will require, your entire history is going to come out," Diane explained to him as she jotted notes on her yellow legal pad. "We're not just talking about your past but probably Carly's too. Are the two of you really ready to have Elizabeth use Michael as an example? Alexis is probably going to use that against you."

Jason felt Carly shift uncomfortably next to him at the mention of her oldest son. They had talked at length about the Michael situation, knowing full well that Alexis Davis would use his shooting as a prime example of why it was necessary to keep Jake away from Jason. "What happened to my son had nothing to do with Jason," Carly said matter-of-factly. The last thing she wanted to do was relive that nightmare in front of half of Port Charles, but if it meant Jason being apart of her son's life, she would do it for him. "Kate Howard brought my son to a warehouse, and his father wasn't paying attention to him like he should have. That would have never happened if Jason were there."

"Carly, you know as well as I do that no judge will accept that line of reasoning. It would be impossible to prove anything that objective," Diane countered as she regarded the couple. She could see the way Jason and Carly were so united in the cause to bring Jake into their fold. As much as she thought this life came with violence, she truly believed that Jason would be capable of protecting his children. That was the one reason she had agreed to take this case in the first place. "There are a lot of things that can come out against Elizabeth as well. We can bring out Lucky Spencer's past drug use as well as his job as a detective. It's possible that we could draw some parallels to the dangers both lives present."

Jason shook his head adamantly. The only thing that Carly had asked of Jason was to not drag her cousin through the mud. He had agreed easily because he knew that there was no honor in knocking someone down only to build yourself back up. "I don't want to make Lucky look bad. That's not what this is about," Jason insisted evenly. He knew that Diane would want to argue if he didn't make his point his clear. "Look, I just want to be apart of Jake's life. I don't want to take him away from Elizabeth. I just want to be a father to my son."

Diane sighed heavily, knowing full well the long fight they had ahead of them. She stood up and started to gather her things, tucking file folders and her legal pad back into the leather satchel she'd just picked up from Kate Howard's private sample room. "You know that I will do my very best to make that happen for you, Jason," she assured him before slinging her bag over her shoulder. Jason and Carly stood up to walk her to the door. "I am going to go over to the courthouse and file papers to start this process. Elizabeth will be notified within the next 48 hours. In the mean time, I will be in touch."

"Thanks," Jason called after Diane before he pulled the door shut. When they were alone, Carly came over and wrapped her arms around his trim waist as she buried her face in the warmth of his chest. Jason closed his eyes as he rested his chin atop her golden waves. "Thank you for coming here to do this with me today. I know that this is hard on you."

She shook her head against his chest, not wanting him to see the uncertainty in her eyes. She really did want this for Jason, for him to be the amazing father she knew that he already was. Carly had never seen anyone love as completely or selflessly as her best friend. "You would do the same thing for me if it was Morgan," she reminded him before pulling back to gaze into his blue eyes. He smiled at her for a moment before kissing her gently. "I just wish that we didn't have to bring Michael into this. It's hard enough as it is. I relive it every single day of my life. I don't need to drag it into court to remind me what this life can do to a child."

"And yet, you're with me," he declared softly. "You know that there are a lot of people who will never understand how you could be with me after what happened to Michael."

"There are a lot of people who already don't understand why I do the things I do, Jase. I've never really needed anyone to approve of what I do. I know why I am with you. You are not Sonny Corinthos," she murmured as she leaned into him. She felt completely safe as he held her, knowing that he would carry all her weight without her every having to ask him. "There are a lot of people who don't understand why you're with me. That's the thing about us, though. We don't need people to understand why we do the things we do. We know all we need to know when we look at each other."

Jason reached over and hit the remote to turn on the stereo. It had been a long time since he had danced with Carly, and holding her close like this reminded him of their early days at Jake's. A soulful Otis Redding ballad filled his spacious office as he pulled her into his arms again for an impromptu spin around their makeshift dance floor. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he entwined his hands around her waist. "I was thinking today," he said as he spun her around in a circle. "All of this stuff with Jake is just another reminder of how important family is. It's like if it's this hard for me to be away from him, think about all the things that I've put my mother through."

Carly had never had much use for Monica Quartermaine, but she would always be grateful to her for Jason. "Maybe now is the time to change that," she suggested gently. She knew that this needed to be his idea. "It's not like I have been the ideal daughter either. We could probably both use a little work on the relationships with our mothers. We could do it together."

The thought of being apart of the Quartermaine clan was enough to scare the hell out of Jason. He couldn't exactly imagine having a comfortable Christmas dinner with the likes of Edward and Tracy. However, sometimes it was about putting aside your own comforts for the people you love. He could do that for his mother. "I could do that," he decided as Carly snaked her arms around his neck. She tickled the back of his neck as she played with the fine hairs at the nape of his neck. "We should have them both over for dinner. You don't have to cook or anything. We could get food brought in from the hotel. You could invite Lucas and Bobbie, maybe Lu. I could ask my mom. Of course, Spinelli and Maxie would be there along with us and Morgan. What do you think?"

While she knew that the combination of Lulu and Maxie under the same roof could potentially provide for a dangerous situation, Carly actually thought that it sounded like a pretty good idea. "I think that you are becoming quite the family man, Mr. Morgan," she whispered in an enticing tone that emanated from the back of her throat. He smiled against her lips. "Why did we wait so long to get here?"

"I don't know," he smiled again as he ran his hands through her hair lazily. The long tendrils slipped through his fingers like spun golden silk. She leaned forward to press her forehead to his. "All I know is that you were worth the wait."

Moving up to her tip toes, Carly stared straight into Jason's eyes for a long moment before allowing her lids to fall shut so that she could capture his mouth in a kiss. When he pulled away, he lifted her up slightly so that her feet no longer touched the floor. Jason danced them over to the desk and sat her on the edge before moving between her parted thighs. He kissed her again this time, only even deeper than before. She moaned involuntarily against his lips as he worked his hands over her back and to her waist, only to pull her body closer to his. She could feel the heat of him pressed against her, their hearts pounding wildly in unison. The phone started to ring beside her, breaking them both out of their reverie. As Jason went to answer it, Carly grabbed his wrist and looked at him insistently. "Marry me."


	17. Point Seventeen

Jason threaded his fingers in his sandy blonde hair as he turned away from Carly and walked over to his desk. Her simple demand resounded in her ears as he paced the length of the suddenly too small room. It wasn't that he didn't want to say yes. Marrying Carly had been in the back of his mind for the past dozen ears. He turned around and looked up at her, his pale azure eyes meeting her brighter blue ones. She was waiting for an answer but didn't take his silence as being a no. She knew him well enough to know that he needed to come to terms with this on his own. She knew that he would say yes or she never would have asked. She knew it because she would have said yes if he'd asked her. It was something their hearts had in common. It was just another one of their points of perfection.

"Dammit," Jason cursed as he turned away from her again and shoved his hands in his jeans pocket. He went over to his desk and slammed one of the drawers open. Carly recoiled at the unexpected outburst but remained reserved. He stalked back across the room and held up a small black velvet box for her to inspect. "I was going to ask you, Carly, but you just couldn't wait. You never were patient."

"Never claimed to be," she agreed as she lifted the lid of the box. She recognized the sparkling diamond ring immediately. She wasn't sure how he had gotten his hands on it. She'd kept it hidden in a box in the top of her closet ever since the day she'd taken them off when she married Sonny the first time. Through all her moves from marriage to marriage, home to home, that locked box and her sons had been the only thing she had needed to get her through. The only person that had known that it was there besides her was Jason. "How did you get this without me knowing?"

"You know how determined I can be when I go after something I want," he smirked as he took the ring out of the box and reached for her hand. He slid it down her slender ring finger until it rested perfectly just above her knuckle. It fit her as perfectly today as it had the first time he'd given it to her. "The first time I gave you this ring, it was so that you wouldn't have to fight with A.J. We both pretended that it was nothing more at the time, but only because we couldn't admit to ourselves it was everything." He brushed his thumb over the diamond before sliding his fingers through hers. "I was so breathless with just the thought of getting to do something like that with you, something so important and meaningful. I felt it, the same way that you were affected by it."

She is stunned by his admission as she leans her head on his shoulder. Despite the fact that they were in the middle of his office, she was taken immediately to that day in his penthouse when everything had had two meanings. There were the things they said and then the things they meant. There was subtext and reality. "I couldn't believe that you had gotten them so perfect. All those times that I didn't think you were listening to me," she remembered. "You told me that you couldn't help it because I wouldn't go away. I'm really glad I never went away."

He nodded as he held her fingers up for them both to inspect. "Eighteen-karat gold with a five-karat emerald center stone," he reminded her as he pointed to the central diamond. "Two half-karat trillions on the side both sides. I still don't really know what that means."

"You never really cared. Even then, you didn't care what it cost or what it meant. You just wanted me to have them," she retorted as she turned to face him. "So I guess this means that we're both saying yes."

"We are," he agreed as he tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. He leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss over her lips. "But we're not going to officially say yes until your divorce is finalized because I don't want anything to take away from this. When you finally agree to be mine forever, I want you to really be mine. I don't want any part of you to belong to another man, even if it's only a legal formality."

"I have belonged to you from the first time I laid my eyes on you, Jase," she said urgently as she melted against him. Her body had been made just to mold to his perfectly as it did in that moment. "I'm only going to agree to wait because I know that I won't have to wait that long. But when that day comes and that divorce is final, I'm going to scream our engagement from the rooftops. All of Port Charles is going to know that I am a kept woman by the illustrious, incredibly sexy, undeniably dangerous Jason Morgan."

Despite the fact that he valued his privacy, Jason loved the idea of everyone knowing that Carly was finally his. He liked that no one would be able to deny their connection or the fact that they were a family. "Whatever you want, Carly," he grinned, "as long as it ends with you n my arms."

"That is a promise, Mr. Morgan," she promised boldly before moving out of his arms. "Now you need to get your stuff together because we need to get home. I have a dinner party to start preparing for and you have to get Morgan and Spinelli out of the house so that Maxie and I can get everything done."

"Tell me why I agreed to this again," he grumbled as he retrieved his leather jacket from his desk and wrapped it around Carly's shoulders. He nodded at the guards on his way past and toward the door. Carly slipped into the passenger seat as he took his rightful place behind the driving wheel. He wasn't looking forward to having both their families together in one place at the same time, but this was important to Carly and his mother. That was all he really needed to know to ensure that he would show up. He owed both of them at least that much if not more.

"Because we are all a family as crazy and mixed-up as it is," she said pointedly as he turned onto the street that led to their home. Spinelli and Morgan were outside in the front yard, playing on the swings while guards watched from the porch. Maxie was sitting between two of the uniformed men, alternating her attention from the fashion magazine in her lap to the boys playing n front of her. "Alright, boys, you're off with Jason!"

Morgan jumped off the swing excitedly as he raced across the yard toward the dark SUV. Spinelli was a few steps behind him, trying to keep up with the little bundle of energy. Maxie giggled as Carly came up the steps. The two blondes stood side by side as they watched the men in their lives reverse out of the driveway without another word. "You didn't have to tell them twice to get out of here."

"They've all three seen me in the kitchen," Carly laughed before heading into the house. Maxie followed a few steps behind her. As Kate Howard's first assistant, she had become well versed in organizing major events. While the dinner party at Carly's house certainly didn't count as anything spectacular as some of balls she'd helped with, it definitely required the same organization to handle the insanity of the Spencer and Quartermaine families. "Alright, the guys from the Metrocourt are going to deliver the food in an hour. Jason and Spinelli moved the dining room around last night. We just need to finish the seating arrangement and start setting the table."

Maxie pulled the clipboard off the island in the kitchen and took a stool across from Carly. "Monica and Edward are both going to come," she checked off the list. "Bobbie, Lulu, Johnny. Lucas called awhile ago to say that he was back in town. Lucky was a little confused when I invited him but he said that he would stop by. All of us will be there. Anyone else?"

"Max and Milo will be here along with Mercedes. They're not officially family or anything, but they're just as much a part of this as anyone else," Carly declared while Maxie scrawled their names at the bottom of the list. While most people would keep the help hidden in the kitchen, Carly gladly welcomed her nanny and favorite pair of guards to every family dinner. "I had my assistant make up place cards. Jason thinks it's too formal, but I just don't want any problems."

"Trust me, Lulu and I will be on our best behavior," Maxie promised. "Jason and Lucky will be too."

"I'm just happy that everyone is going to be here to celebrate with us," Carly smiled. Maxie immediately recognized the private smile as one that Carly used only when referring to Jason. She studied the older blonde for a moment. The two of them had grown closer the more they were around each other. They were the only two that really understood what it was like right now to live in this world. Much like Mac, Bobbie had never really approved of her daughter's choice in men. However, unlike the police commissioner, she had come to accept that Carly was apart of the danger. Now that Maxie was firmly with Spinelli, Mac would have to come to similar terms. "Would you stop looking at me?"

"What happened, Carly?" Maxie demanded with glittering eyes. "Tell me! I know you're keeping a secret."

"You cannot tell anyone," Carly emphasized as she met the young woman's probing gaze. "We haven't told anyone yet. It just sort of happened. You have to keep it a secret, Maxie. You have to promise to keep it to yourself until we tell everyone." She wasn't sure why she was about to confide in someone she had barely known a month ago, but she felt kindred to Maxie. They were too much alike for her not to. As much as people had compared Carly to Lulu, they weren't as much alike anymore. Lulu had gone a different route, and the closeness that they had shared before Michael's shooting had never really returned since the night she had asked Carly that unspeakable question. "Do you promise?"

Promises had never really been Maxie's thing. She had never been very good at keeping her word. However, meeting Spinelli had changed that part of her. Jason and Spinelli had accepted them into their family with very few questions asked. While it had taken her awhile to earn the mobster's trust, he had eventually let her into the fold. When Carly and Morgan had changed their little dynamic, Carly had taken Maxie under her wing much like she'd always wished her mother would. She wasn't about to mess up that relationship by telling a secret Carly was only entrusting her with. "I promise."

"Jason and I are going to get married," she beamed as she held up her hand for Maxie to see. The younger blonde squealed excitedly as she grabbed Carly's hand and looked at the diamond. "He doesn't want to announce it until my divorce is final, so you have to keep it a secret. I'm just so excited that I had to tell someone."

Throwing their arms around each other, Maxie and Carly gazed at the ring in unison, giggling like schoolgirls gossiping about their adolescent crushes. "Congratulations, Carly!" Maxie said. "I'm so happy for you. Jason really does belong with you."

"No," Carly shook her head as she turned to meet Maxie's wide eyes. "He belongs here with all of us. Whenever Jason and I would get close in the past, I always felt like there was something missing. I wasn't sure if it was the fear of getting what I wanted or what. I just knew it wasn't quite right. Michael will always be missing now, that won't change, but I think that you and Spinelli were a piece of that missing part. All of us were supposed to come together here and make this family. I know that now."

"Carly, in case I haven't said it enough, thank you for making me apart of all of this," Maxie told her as she waved her hands around the room for emphasis. "I wasn't sure how things were going to work out when you and Jason reunited. I was used to living in the penthouse with them, and I kind of assumed I'd get pushed to the side when they moved in here. I really appreciate that you made sure that didn't happen."

"I know what it's like to love them, Maxie," she acknowledged. "You would live and die for Spinelli and Jason just like I would. You know that loving one of them means loving the other. They are your family just like they are mine. No one other than you could ever understand what that means. It's a very tight inner circle to be apart of, so I'm glad that I'm not in this alone."

While the two women set to work, Jason and Spinelli sat side by side while Morgan played with a few of his classmates at the school gym. It was the only place that other kids were really allowed to play with the little boy because the parents there were aware of the circumstances. Carly and Sonny had rented out the gymnasium the first Saturday of every month since Michael started school so that he would have somewhere to play with his friends. It was a tradition that had continued with Morgan. While the guards were still as present as ever, Morgan and the other kids ignored it long enough to play basketball and freeze tag and ride around on their scooters.

"So, I have something I am going to tell you," Jason announced without looking over at Spinelli. "You have to keep it to yourself. I mean it. You can't even tell Maxie."

Jason rarely asked Spinelli to keep secrets when it came to anything other than business, but he could tell by his mentor's tone that this was private. "You know that you can trust the Jackal," Spinelli remarked confidently. "When it comes to your secrets, I am an impenetrable fortress."

"Yeah, right," Jason mused sarcastically. "Carly proposed to me this afternoon."

"The Valkyrie asked you to marry her?" he asked. "What did Stone Cold say?"

"I proposed to her."

"Wait, so she proposed to you and then you proposed to her?"

"That's what I said," Jason rolled his eyes. "I gave her a diamond wedding set years ago when she was still married to Michael's biological father, my brother. They were always our rings. I knew she kept them in her closet, so when she was out with Morgan a couple days ago, I picked the lock on the box and took them out. I gave them back to her earlier today."

"So you're engaged?!?" Spinelli screamed before Jason clamped his hand over her mouth. "You're engaged?"

Jason nodded his head silently. "We're going to announce it after her divorce from Jax is final," he explained. "Until then, I just want to keep it between us. I really shouldn't have even told you, but I was dying to tell someone. I mean, Carly is going to be my wife. It's too amazing to be kept secret."

Spinelli couldn't remember a time when Jason was 'dying' to tell anyone any of his secrets. He felt both honored that Stone Cold trusted him with this and overwhelmingly happy that his friend was finally getting everything he had ever wanted. "You seem wonderfully and completely happy, Stone Cold," Spinelli observed. "Thank you for letting me be apart of that."

"You have Maxie, so I know that you understand," Jason said. "You'd give anything and everything for either one of them. They're our family, yours and mine. Not that many people understand me, but the three of you do. You accept me and the way my life is. I know it's hard sometimes, but knowing that I have you guys and Morgan, it makes it easier to get by."


	18. Point Eighteen

White tapered candles lined the middle of the expansive mahogany dining room table, each perfectly lit to cast an atmospheric glow throughout the intimate space. Crystal platters of food from the Metrocourt restaurant were placed strategically across the wooden surface to allow the large group of diners to access the gourmet dishes. Carly had chosen her favorite dishes, the handcrafted design that the boys had hand-painted last year for Christmas. There were a variety of glasses and beverages sprinkled around to meet everyone's preferences. All in all, Carly had prepared the perfect table for her dinner guests.

"Everything looks perfect, Carly, you have to stop worrying," Maxie insisted as she brushed past the older blonde to bring in the mixed greens salad. Morgan followed her closely behind with the serving tongs. He had taken to being Maxie and Spinelli's shadow lately. He adored both of the young adults and lavished the attention they gave him. "What do you think, Morgan? Did your mom do a good job?"

"Yeah!" the little boy exclaimed as he handed over the tongs. He sprinted across the room and launched himself into his mother's arms. She lifted him easily off the ground and buried her face in his shoulder. "Jason said that we get to watch a movie together when everyone goes home and that I get to pick it. Maxie and Spinelli are even going to stay. It's going to be the whole family, Mommy!"

"You know what, that sounds perfect," she grinned as she sat him back on the ground. Carly watched as he disappeared after Maxie back into the kitchen. A moment later, Jason appeared through the doorway with a tie in hand. "Hey, you."

He smiled softly to her before coming over to where she stood. Handing over the tie without a word, he turned to face her so that she could tie it for him. "I would only wear a tie for you," he grimaced as she slipped the soft blue silk around his neck. He hadn't even argued when Carly had asked him dress up for the dinner party. While she liked him best in his faded jeans and black tee shirts, she'd always had a thing for him all dressed up. Pretty much the only time she got to see him like that was at a wedding, a funeral or in court. Needless to say, this was something he would only do for Carly, and she understand what that meant. Once she was satisfied with the tie, she leaned forward and kissed the tip of his nose. "I love you, you know?"

Carly smiled up at him and nodded simply. "I know," she retorted before slipping away from him. She heard the doorbell chime from the living room. Smoothing an invisible wrinkle from her navy blue dress, she headed into the other room to welcome her first guest. Her face lit up as she pulled the door open to reveal her baby brother. "Lucas!"

"Hey, Big Sis," the young man grinned as her wrapped his arms around his eager older sister. Carly embraced him tightly and held onto him a moment longer than she usually would. She had missed being around him all these months while he had been away at college. When he pulled back, he was surprised to see her grinning at him with watery eyes. "Carly, are you okay?"

"I'm just really happy to see you, Lucas," she admitted before leaning in for another hug. Their little reunion was quickly interrupted when a ball of dark-headed energy came bursting into the room. Morgan had always adored his Uncle Lucas and looked forward to any time he could spend with him. As her little brother picked up her youngest son, she couldn't help but beam with pride.

"Ah, there are my boys," Bobbie announced from behind Carly. The blonde turned around and greeted her mother excitedly, slinging her arm over her shoulder as they watched Lucas and Morgan talk excitedly on the couch. "Lucas couldn't wait to get over here to see you. He kept talking about hanging out with Morgan and you while he was home on break."

Just as Carly was about to respond, the melodic chimes of the doorbell once again filled the living room. Bobbie slipped past her daughter to say hello to Morgan while Carly turned around to let her next guests in. Lucky and Lulu were standing to the stoop with an impressive bouquet of winter flowers in hand when she pulled the door open. "Well, if it isn't the Cousins Spencer," she chirped before kissing Lulu on the cheek. Her cousin rolled her eyes as she told Carly hello and darted across the room to join Lucas. An apprehensive Lucky scuffed his feet as he stood uncomfortably in the foyer. Carly grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the living room after her. "Thanks for coming, Lucky."

The brunette regarded his cousin gingerly, his blue eyes blazing much as his father's always did. "I wasn't…I don't get…I'm not sure what to do here, Carly," he admitted as he looked around. He knew that this was his family and that he should feel comfortable. It was just hard because there had always been this disconnect between himself and Carly. While he appreciated everything she had ever done for Lulu, Lucky and Carly had never really had much use for each other. Until now. "I'm glad that you asked me anyhow."

Carly nodded solemnly as she lowered her voice so that only the two of them could hear. "We have wasted a lot of time that neither of us really has," she told him softly. "Lucky, no matter what disagreements or differences we have had in the past, you are my family. Everything that has happened this year has reminded me how much that matters. I really hope that you and I can be closer than we have been."

He nodded at her thoughtfully before going over to talk to Bobbie in the corner. Carly looked around at the small room and smiled at all the Spencers filling the space. She loved her family so much, and as much as she forgot it sometimes, these people were her family. Her gaze found Jason's in the doorway as he moved out of the way to let an excited Maxie and a fumbling Spinelli into the room to join everyone else. He smiled at her gently before heading over to where she was. He brushed a kiss over her forehead as the doorbell chimed for the final time. "Why don't you get that one?" she told him before sliding her arm around his waist.

Jason reached out and opened the door to find Monica and Edward standing on their doorstep. He looked between his mother and his grandfather awkwardly before inviting them to come inside the house. Letting go of Carly, he moved timidly to hug his mother. When her warm arms wrapped around him, he instantly felt this familiar feeling wash over him. It was like coming home. He never let himself feel this feeling – the one where he just knew that he was loved. She might never approve of his life, but Jason didn't doubt that his mother loved him. She would probably even do it unconditionally if she would let him.

"Hi, Mom," he whispered into her ear as he hugged her. A content smile played across her face as she pulled away. No one else knew what had her so aglow or how much it could mean to hear a single word. The little boy she had watched play at Alan's desk as a little boy was still the same man who was doing his best to meet his grandfather. "Hello, Edward."

"Hello, Son," Edward returned as he took Monica's arm. The two of them made their way over to an overstuffed chair so that he could sit down. A pageboy cap rested upon his snowy white hair while he leaned heavily against his cane. "So, your mother tells me that you have taken up with Carly again."

Carly grinned mischievously as she knelt in front of the old man. The two of them had always had a contentious relationship that very much centered on his favorite grandson. "Yes, we are, Edward," she declared proudly. Jason came up behind her and reached for her hand supportively. "I know that you don't always like me, but your grandson is in love with me. I hope that you can be happy for him."

Edward looked at her with a hardened look but softened visibly when he saw the love between Carly and Jason. He had never really had much use for the vivacious blonde, but even he had been able to see how the two of them were together. It was much like the way Lila's family had felt when she had fallen in love with Edward. In fact, he could see a part of her in both of them. "Lila always had a special fondness for you, Carly," he allowed begrudgingly. "If Jason is happy, then I suppose that is what she would want."

She nodded slightly in acknowledgement without saying another word. She straightened herself up and clapped her hands so that she could make an announcement. "If you guys are ready, we can head to the dining room for dinner," she told everyone. "And don't worry, I didn't cook."

Rumbles of gratitude filled the room as everyone filed into the dining room. Carly and Jason waited for everyone to take their seats before standing up at the head of the table. "A lot of you guys know why we called everyone here today, but for those of you who don't, we have an announcement," Carly informed the room. "It's not like it's a big secret anymore, but Jason and I are officially together now. He and Spinelli moved into the cottage last week. I guess you could say we're sort of a family now."

Lucas was the first one to jump to his feet to hug his sister. While Bobbie had let it slip during a phone conversation last night, he had known his sister well enough to give her the time to tell him herself. "I knew it," he whispered into her ear. She blushed as he reached across to shake Jason's hand. Jason hated exactly these kinds of situations but was willing to endure pretty much anything for her. "Welcome to the family."

Jason nodded before turning back to the table of diners. "Please, everyone eat," he asked his family and friends politely. It didn't take asking again before everyone started to dig into the meal. Edward began talking to Lucas about his classes at business school while Bobbie and Monica settled into a conversation about the latest gossip at the hospital. Maxie and Lulu were holding court at the corner of the table, discussing everything going on at the office. Spinelli was bothering Jason about something that Carly didn't quite understand, and Lucky and Morgan were joking around next to her. She was just about to say something to Jason when the door bell rang again. He looked at her confusedly. "Who could that be?"

The two of them didn't have to wait long before an unsettling pair came into the dining room uninvited. Jason and Lucky both rose to their feet immediately with an instantly angry Carly in tow. She pushed past the two men to look her unwelcomed visitors directly in the eye. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked in a harsh whisper, not wanting her son to see her angry.

Jason placed his hand on the small of her back. "Let's go into the living room," he told her before looking back at their guests. "If you guys will excuse us, we'll be right back."

Carly could hear the hum of curious conversation as she followed Lucky and Jason into the next room. With her best friend on one side of her and her cousin on the other, she knew that at least she had strength in numbers on her side. "You weren't invited here."

"Well, we just thought we'd follow your example and show up uninvited," Elizabeth smiled devilishly as she leaned against Sonny. "I mean, the family is all here. Hi, Jason. Hi, Lucky."

Both her ex-boyfriend and her ex-husband shook their heads sadly. Lucky could hardly recognize the innocent young girl he had fallen in love with so completely back in high school. Jason could only see the woman Carly had always known Elizabeth to be. "Elizabeth, you're not welcome here," Lucky announced finally. "You're not apart of this family."

"Neither is he," Sonny said, pointing to his former friend. He hated knowing that anyone could take his place. It had hurt like hell when it was Jax, but at least with him he'd always known that it was only temporary. With Jason, he knew that it was permanent. "He doesn't belong here anymore that Elizabeth does."

"See, that's where you're wrong," Jason spouted. "Carly and I are getting married. We were actually just getting ready to tell everyone before you so rudely interrupted our family dinner. However, since you're here, why don't you come in and join the celebration?"

Without another word, Elizabeth stomped out of the room like a seven-year-old brat. Carly wanted to scream at her arch nemesis to grow up but knew that would make her just as immature. Instead, she turned to her ex-husband and arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Why don't you follow Elizabeth and take your leave?" she asked Sonny. "She's not the only one that's not apart of this family anymore."

Sonny started to argue when Jason grabbed a hold of the smaller man's arm and pulled him toward the front door forcefully, leaving Lucky and Carly alone in the living room. The blonde buried her face in her hands when she heard the door slam behind the two former partners. "I wish all of that could just be over," she muttered as she buried her face in her hands.

"Me too," Lucky confessed sadly as he reached down to pull her into a hug. "Congratulations."

Her face lit up as she realized what he was talking about. "Thanks!" she cried before hugging him back. "You're kind of the first person I've told other than Maxie. I have a sinking suspicion that Spinelli knows too."

"Knows what?" the curious hacker asked from the doorway. "Sorry to interrupt this tender family moment, but Mother Spencer is wondering when you were going to come back. They sent the Jackal in here to make sure that everything was okay."

Carly was about to assure him that everyone was okay when Jason came back into the house. He threw a look at Lucky, who simply nodded in understanding. Whatever anger had raged between the two of them was now gone. It had been replaced by a mutual understanding of finally seeing Elizabeth for who she truly was – pathetic, weak and desperate. "Let's get back in there," he announced to everyone before reaching out to stop Carly. He leaned down and kissed her soundly. "I'll tell you everything later."

The two of them returned to their seats and tucked back into their dinner without offering any explanation. Maxie had been able to successfully distract Morgan long enough that he wasn't too upset about seeing his father for the first time in months. While questions were visible in both Monica and Bobbie's eyes, neither Carly nor Jason said a single word about their unwelcomed visitors. Instead, Jason looked at Carly and smiled, holding her gaze for a long time. He was suddenly able to forget everything when he drowned in those clear blue pools. "Oh, by the way, Carly and I are getting married."


	19. Point Nineteen

"What's that one again?"

"Cassiopeia."

"And that one over there? Is that Orion?"

"Not quite, Orion is the bigger next to it. Those two smaller ones are Orion's dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor."

Carly snuggled further into Jason's chest as he continued to point out the different constellations to her. The two of them were stretched out on the lounger on her back patio a few hours after their dinner guests had gone home. Morgan was asleep upstairs in his bed, and Maxie and Spinelli were sprawled out in his bedroom watching movies. She liked knowing that her entire family was at home and together under one roof. "Tell me about your favorite one, Jase," she implored as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him.

He kissed the crown of her head before he started to tell the story. "Zeus was the king of all the gods in Roman mythology. He was always falling in and out of love with these different women," he told her as he traced his finger lazily along her jaw. She rested her cheek fully in his palm. "One of the women that he fell in love with was Europa, the Princess of Phoenicia. She was breathtakingly beautiful, the stuff of fairytales and ancient myths apparently."

"The strong and handsome king falling in love with a beautiful princess?" she mused as she turned around to face Jason. She propped herself up on one elbow so that she could hover over him. Sliding her body against his, she hungrily brushed a kiss over his slightly part lips. He sighed happily when she pulled away. "They could be telling our story."

Jason laughed in a way that made his smoldering blue eyes twinkle. "We wouldn't want this to be our story, Carly," he assured her. "You see, to get Europa, Zeus had to disguise himself as this white bull to even get her to look his So drawn to his beauty, she climbed onto his back and swam with him all the way to Crete. When they arrived, he told her who he really was. Then they made love."

"I don't know, it still sounds like a romantic story to me," she told him skeptically before he leaned up to kiss her again. "I mean, she was willing to love him when he was a bull."

He shook his head in amusement as he fingered the soft ringlets of blonde hair around her face. She pulled the fleece blanket up further around their stretched-out forms. "Don't you see how sad it is?" he asked her softly. "I mean, he had to hide who he really was for her to fall in love with him. I did that with other women in the past, especially Courtney and Elizabeth. I tried to be who they wanted me to be. I hid the most important parts of me, the ones in my heart that I can't deny."

Carly was starting to understand what he was getting at. She had never really known Jason to be so philosophical. There was one of those little surprises that he was always throwing her way. "And you didn't want to do that with me," she realized. "You wanted me to know you for you."

"I didn't have to that with you. You already knew me," he murmured. "From that first night at Jake's, you knew exactly who I was. You knew that I was in this life, and you didn't care. Never once, no matter what has happened, have you said that my life was too dangerous. You never held it against me. Like I've always said, you walked into this world willingly right by my side. Even when we weren't together, I saw that. I saw that you loved me for me no questions asked."

"You know what, Jason Morgan?" she grinned, threading her arms around his neck. "I love how you see me. I didn't have any idea what I was doing back then. I had no way of knowing what being in your life would mean. I didn't plan to get a best friend and two amazing sons out of the deal. I couldn't have predicted this amazing life if I had tried. I just knew that you were something worth holding onto. I knew that loving you was one of the easiest and best decisions I would ever make. I would have followed you blindly anywhere. I still would."

"You will never have to follow me anywhere, Carly," he promised solemnly. He pressed his forehead to hers so that he could see in those beautiful blue eyes. "That's the thing about us. It's one of those things that make us perfect that you're always talking about. I would never ask you to walk behind me when I could have you right by my side. You'd never have to follow me blindly because I will always be right beside you with your hand in mine."

She couldn't help but smile at his unexpected candor. "I love you, Jase," she whispered before sliding her hand down his back to rest on his belt. He groaned inwardly as he caught onto her insinuation. He slid out from beneath her and scooped her into his arms. Carrying her easily up the stairs, he tried to tiptoe past Spinelli and Morgan's bedrooms. When he had managed to shut the door to their own room with his foot, he deposited her safely into the middle of the bed. With her hands still locked around his neck, she was able to pull him down with her.

Jason made slow work of removing her clothing piece by piece. He peeled the cashmere sweater away before brushing butterfly kisses over her bare arms. His hands moved down to her trousers and worked nimbly over the zipper and button so that he could pull them away. It only took a few more steps to have her naked and writhing beneath him. "Too many clothes," she protested as she yanked at Jason's tee shirt. He sat back on his haunches mischievously and discarded it onto the carpet over his shoulder. She lunged hungrily for his mouth as her hands slipped down to his belt.

Their kisses grew even more intent and pointed as they quickly rid themselves of the rest of their clothes. Skin to skin, Carly and Jason moved together as one until they shattered over the edge together. He stayed atop of her in the afterglow, wanting to feel her lithe body under his. This was always his favorite part – the quiet moment where their bodies were still connected. "By the way, I love you too," he finally replied. She smiled up at him contently. "You are the definition of beautiful."

Carly adjusted to the weight of Jason's body behind her as he rolled off her and wrapped his hands around her bare waist. His chin rested on her shoulder as his heavy eyes fell shut. "You k now what I was just thinking about when we were doing that?"

"You can form coherent thoughts when we do that?" he snorted. He couldn't imagine thinking about much other than the explosions going off in his head when he was with Carly. Pretty much all sense of awareness flew out the window when he just kissed her, so being with her like that left absolutely no room for actually being able to think. "You're even more amazing than I give you credit for."

"Well, yeah," she said sarcastically, as if this opinion was a matter of fact. "Actually, what I was thinking about was having a baby with you. I'm not saying that it has to happen right now. In fact, we should probably wait until things calm down and we are actually married. I just was thinking about the someday of it all."

"Well, I have never been a big believer in someday," he told her honestly. The truth was that he had never seen the point in planning for a life you could have while you were busy living the one you did have. It was what had kept him going in those years apart from Carly and the boys. If he focused on what was in front of him, he wouldn't let himself remember what he was missing. "Until now."

Reaching for his hands, she entwined their fingers together and brought them to rest on her flat abdomen. She imagined what it would feel like when he would hold her like this again, only nine months pregnant with their little girl. He had done that a lot when she was in her final days of pregnancy with Michael. "I want a daughter with you, Jase. We've talked about it before," she whispered in the dark. She felt Jason pull away from her and fumble around for his discarded tee. She pulled it on while he slipped back into his boxers. "What do you think about that?"

"I think that with our blonde hair and our blue eyes, she is going to be the most beautiful girl in the world just like her mother," he decided. "And Morgan is going to be this protective older brother and we are going to find a miracle to bring Michael back and Spinelli will be this weird little piece that completes the puzzle and I'll continue to put up with Maxie. I think we'll be happy."

"We could name her Emaline," she thought aloud. "I've always liked that song and it could be in honor of your sister. Maybe we could find a middle name from my family or something."

Jason mulled the name over in his head. He knew how Carly had often felt about his sister when she was alive, but she had let go of all of that a long time ago. The day of Emily's funeral, she had talked about how much she had admired her. "She would have loved that. Maybe we could name our little girl Emaline Spencer Morgan."

"Luke would love that," she giggled, "and so would my mom. I know that I was born a Spencer, but I don't always feel like I really belong in that family. Tonight, when I was with everyone, it was like I'd finally reached a place where this family was mine, too. Having Lucky and you by my side when Sonny showed up with that wench, it was the first time we were ever on the same side. And then coming back into the kitchen and seeing my brother, I just missed him so much."

"Speaking of that," he sighed. "I should probably tell you what happened with Sonny."

"Probably, but I'm not sure that I want to know."

He squeezed her hand tightly. "Sonny isn't going to make this easy on us, Carly, but I am not going to let him take this away from us," he promised. "He's never made anything easy though, I guess."

"He doesn't," she agreed. "The thing is that he was never as strong as I was or you were. Can you imagine the odds that he's up against with the two of us together? He can't hurt us as long we're together. He won't take Morgan away from me. If he wants to be apart of his son's life in any way, he'll find a way to be a good man for him. Otherwise, I'll make sure that he never puts my little boy in the middle of his selfish little game."

"And Elizabeth…"

"The two of them deserve each other," she laughed. It made sense that the two most oblivious and self-centered people she had ever known would end up on the same side. "I don't want to waste a moment of the time we have together worrying about them. It's just our family from here on out."

Jason brushed another kiss over the crown of her head as she leaned back against him. Carly was about to turn over in his arms when Morgan called out. "Jason!" he hollered.

Carly listened to his tone to make sure that he wasn't crying or hurt. "Go on."

He pulled a pair of sweats out of the dresser and tossed them on along with another of his trusty black tees before heading into the dark hallway to comfort the little boy. Carly crawled out of bed and slipped into a pair of flannel pants before he could return. She suddenly remembered that she had left her glass of wine outside and jogged down the stairs to retrieve it. She passed Jason in the hallway with a wide-awake Morgan on his hip. "He couldn't sleep."

"Why don't the two of you go crawl into bed? I am going to go down and bring some stuff in from inside," she told them before kissing both of them on the cheek. When she got into the kitchen, she found a giggly Maxie eating leftovers at the counter while Spinelli scoured the fridge for some food. "What are you two still doing up? I figured Mac would have dragged you home by now."

"He thinks that I'm staying with a friend," Maxie shrugged mischievously. "It's not _too_ far from the truth."

Carly laughed quietly as she let herself into the backyard to pick up the crystal goblet still sitting on the cement next to their abandoned chair. She brought it inside and dumped the contents down the sink. "I have an idea," she decided as she turned back to Maxie and Spinelli. "Morgan and Jason are upstairs in my room. We're going to watch a movie. The bed is plenty of big for all of us. Why don't you grab your pillows and join us? I think we could all use a little family bonding time."

Maxie clapped excitedly at the impromptu sleepover while Spinelli grinned. It was the family he had always dreamt about as a kid growing up with just his grandmother in Tennessee. Carly grabbed Maxie's wrist and pulled her toward the staircase. She managed to yank Spinelli by the hand after her. The three of them were laughing and joking around when they came into the bedroom. Carly crawled up into the bed and slipped in next to Morgan. Jason reached behind the little boy and wrapped his arm around her. Spinelli and Maxie sprawled out at their feet just as Jason pressed play on the remote. As the opening sequence of the animated movie started to plan on the screen, he looked over Morgan and caught Carly's eye.

Yeah, this was perfect.


	20. Point Twenty

Carly had ignored his phone calls all week, but when he had resorted to calling the house and had spoken with Morgan, she knew that she had no choice but to make the short jaunt across town to have a sit-down conversation with him. She looked up at the gloomy Greystone estate, remembering when the days she had looked at this place as a second home. She could make out his shadow behind the crimson curtains from his sitting room, the sight of too many memories that all centered upon her oldest son. Nodding to Max, she let herself into the living room without asking. She wasn't surprised to find Sonny hunched over on the sofa, nursing a tumbler of aged scotch. Without a single word, she dropped onto the couch next to him and poured herself a glass.

"You know what today is?"

Carly looked down at the amber liquid before knocking it back in one long gulp. "It's the day you adopted Michael officially," she answered. "I've been dreading it all week and not for the reason that you think. I knew that this day was going to be hard for you. I'm sorry for that."

Sonny nodded solemnly before looking up at his ex-wife. "I want to go see him."

"Sonny," she warned, "I'm not really sure that's a very good idea. Things are still so tense. Even Jason hasn't gone to see him. I just don't want to risk anything right now."

"Please, Carly," he implored, pain shining in his chocolate eyes. He had plenty of time to think about how wrong everything had gone, starting with the minute Kate had worked her way back into his life. Every decision he had made since then had been selfish, something he had often accused Carly of. The blonde before him had found her happiness, and for once, he was going to find a way to step aside and not begrudge her of that. "I just want to see my son."

Raking her fingers through her hair, she suddenly wished that she could talk to Jason. She wanted to know his opinion and his assessment of the situation. However, she knew that no one could make this choice for her. It needed to be her call ultimately. Michael was her son. "I'd like to go up there this weekend," she told him finally. "I was going to ask Jason to come with me. Why don't you join us? I know that it'll be uncomfortable, but this kind of isn't about us. It's about Michael. He deserves to have all three of us there."

Sonny would much rather have gotten to make the trip to New York City alone, but he was willing to take whatever small bone Carly was willing to toss his way. "Thank you, Carly," he replied appreciatively. "What about Morgan? How's he doing?"

"He has his days, but I think he's actually doing pretty well all things considered," she assured him. "It helps having Spinelli around. He's kind of become a stand-in big brother. He adores spending time with Spinelli and Maxie. He misses you though."

"I miss him too."

"I know," she said softly, daring to meet his gaze fully for the first time. "Maybe when you get back, you could come by the house and spend some time with him. I'm not ready for you to take him, but I know that he would love to see you."

He reached out and covered her hand with his. "I'm sorry about the other night. I should have never showed up there with Elizabeth," he admitted regretfully. "I just feel like she is the first person who has understood what I've been going through. It's not an easy thing, you know, seeing the two of you together. I want to be okay with it because I know that you deserve to be happy. Hell, if anyone does, it's the two of you. It's just hard to be okay with another man having the life you thought would always be yours."

Carly felt a familiar wave of anger pass over her. "Don't you think that's how Jase has felt all these years watching you and me?" she asked. "Every time I saw him with another woman, I kept wondering when it would be my turn. He felt the same with us. I never stopped loving him, not even when I loved you. I'm living the life with him that I was supposed to live. All of this – it was always meant for him. I can only hope that you'll find that for yourself some day. If that is with Kate or, as much as I hate to say it, even Elizabeth, I really do want this for you."

"You always say that you want me to be happy."

"I always did," she assured him. "I just didn't want you to be happier than me. I'm selfish too, Sonny. You know that better than anyone. I loved you the best that I knew how for the longest time. You were that for me, too. It just never was going to be good enough, was it? I was never going to be Brenda and you were never going to be Jason. We really loved each other; I have never once doubted that. You gave me one of the most incredible gifts of my life. Just because we weren't forever doesn't mean that we didn't have a love of a lifetime."

Tears welled in both their eyes. As many times as they had said goodbye, as many times as they had said that this was the last time, this really was the last time. This was their final goodbye. After she walked out of the house, things would forever be changed, and for the first time, maybe that was okay. "I might be spending some time with Elizabeth. I don't know if anything is going to happen, but I wanted you to be the first one to know that," he revealed. "I promise that it won't be about getting back at you. It might not be about anything. I just know that I need her right now."

"It's okay to need someone again, Sonny, even if it is Elizabeth," Carly assured him. She still hated that anyone that she cared about could need that woman, but she needed for Sonny to be okay. "Look, I have to get home. I will call you after I've talked to Jase so we can work out the details of going to see Michael."

Sonny nodded politely as he followed her to the door. Carly's hand rested on the doorknob as she turned back and smiled at him genuinely. He leaned forward impulsively and hugged her briefly. "Thanks for stopping by, Carly."

Meanwhile, back at the cottage, Jason was sitting with Morgan on the couch, reading from his favorite book. With Michael, the stories had always been about safaris and wild animals and Africa. Jason had preferred another book with Morgan, this one about South America. Morgan's favorite part was about the fish of the Amazon River. He had always been attracted to the water, much like his mother's love for the ocean. As he turned the page to the section piranhas, he realized that Morgan was busier watching Jason than looking at the book.

"What are you looking at?" he teased as he tickled Morgan's side. The little boy giggled as he kicked his feet out in front of him and snuggled closer to Jason's side. "Are you bored with the book?"

"Jason, can I ask you something?"

Jason nodded thoughtfully. "You can ask me anything."

"When you marry Mommy, are you going to be my new daddy?"

He felt the definite tug of his heartstrings at the little boy's innocent question. "No one could ever replace your father, Morgan," he promised. "Even if isn't around like he used to be, Sonny loves you and your brother very much. I just get to be this other person in your life that will always love you and watch out for you."

Morgan thought about this for a moment before nodding his acceptance. "It would be okay with me if you wanted to be my daddy, too," he decided. "I mean, Daddy is my daddy, and I love him very much. But Mommy always told me that your heart has unlimited space to love people. I already love you like another daddy. Not the same way as Daddy but still a lot. Do you know what I mean?"

"I do," Jason smiled as he hugged the boy tightly to his side. "Morgan, I want you to know that I love your mom and you and Spinelli more than anything in the world. You three are my family. No matter what happens, nothing will ever change that."

"I know," the little boy rolled his eyes. His mother was always reminding him how much she loved him, especially since Michael went away. "What about Maxie? She's apart of this family too?"

Jason shook his head in disbelief. Much like Carly was able to capture men's loyalty, Maxie managed to get under the skin of people that came into her life. She had obviously worked that potent power on Morgan. "Yes, Maxie is apart of this family," he agreed, "and I love my family."

"Aw, Jason!" Maxie squealed from the doorway as she came into the living room and collapsed on the sofa next to Morgan. "You love me."

He looked at her wearily, suppressing the urge to laugh. "Don't push it, Maxie."

"You just said that you love your family, Jason," Morgan reminded him solemnly. "If Maxie is in this family, then you love her, too. Besides, she is going to marry Spinelli someday and it's going to be all like official."

"And how do you know that, Morgan?" Maxie asked.

"Duh, Maxie," he retorted, shaking his head as if this should be obvious. "Because you love each other like Jason and Mommy. Kids just know these things."

"You are way too smart for your age, Kid," Maxie muttered, causing Jason to laugh. "I don't know what you're laughing at over there, Mr. Morgan. This brat just got you to admit that you actually care what happens to me. In fact, I daresay he got you to admit that you love me."

He grimaced at her harshly as cold blue eyes met lively azure ones. "Like I said, we're family."

She smiled at him kindly and nodded, not wanting to push him any further. She knew the careful line you had to tread with Jason, and him admitting this much was probably the most she was ever going to get. Maxie had long known that the mobster cared about her. It was just nice to know that he could acknowledge it, too.

As Morgan, Maxie and Jason continued to debate the finer emotions of their family dynamic, Carly stepped out of her armored limousine and disappeared into Wyndham's in search of her favorite disheveled computer hacker. She found Spinelli awkwardly browsing in the men's formal department, looking decidedly out of place amidst the racks of Italian suits and silk ties. "Sorry I'm late, things with Sonny took longer than I expected," she apologized as she met him at a display of Ralph Lauren shirt. "Things also went better than expected."

"Glad to hear that the Godfather could be most obliging to the Valkyrie," Spinelli grinned as Carly linked her arm through his. "I managed to escape the lovely Maxamista for the day, so please tell me what brings me here."

"Well, you know how Jason hates anything too mushy, especially when it comes to anyone that is not Morgan, Jake or me," she asked. Spinelli nodded. He had spent the last three years learning the delicate balance of Jason's inner psyche. "Well, we had a talk last night, and he wanted me to ask you something."

Spinelli looked down at his hands. He had been waiting awhile for Carly or Jason to mention him finding his own place. He knew that he was old enough and with them beginning a new life, it was very likely that they would be thinking about making room for any new additions that should come their way. "I can be out by the end of the week."

She looked up at him with wide eyes as she stopped in the middle of the aisle. Spinelli reddened as she burst out laughing. "No, Sweetie, we're not kicking you out!" she cried, squeezing his arm. "Even if I wanted to, I'm pretty sure that Jason and Morgan would never let me. I guess it's a good thing that I don't want to. I can't imagine that house without you now."

He smiled at her gratefully. "Oh, thank you, Valkyrie!" he gushed. "It's nice to feel like I belong."

"Well, you do," she assured him as they started along again. "Actually, what Jason wanted me to ask you was even more important than that. He wanted me to ask you if you would stand up with him at the wedding. We're going to keep it small and intimate, you know how Jase hates crowds. He couldn't pick between you and Morgan, so he'd like for you to both be his best men."

Spinelli felt a little ashamed when he was hit with the overwhelming rush of emotions. Not for the first time, he wished that he could be emotionally strong like his mentor. "I would be most honored."

"Good, I hoped you would say that," she nodded resolutely. "I am going to ask Lulu to be my maid of honor, and since we need someone else to stand up to keep things even, I was thinking about Maxie. What do you say? Think you could escort your best friend down the aisle? I think it'll make pretty good practice."

Electing to ignore her insinuation, he turned to her and threw his arms around her. "Carly," he murmured. She was stunned to hear the young man use her real name. "Thank you. I know that I say that a lot, but really, thank you."

"Oh, Damian," she smiled as she ruffled his hair much like a mother would. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked stunned. "I haven't done anything."

"Oh, don't you see? You've done everything," she disagreed. "You've become an older brother to my son. You've become like a son to my best friend. You've become apart of my family. You brought Maxie into our fold, someone that I can actually really relate to. Maybe we're not conventional, but you've given us a lot. Don't diminish that by being earnest. Be proud of you who you are, Damien Spinelli, because to us, you're kind of everything."

"Okay," he agreed as Carly stopped him in front of an older man in a suit, waiting patiently with his measuring tape and clipboard. "What now?"

"Now, we get you a suit."


	21. Point Twenty One

Jason had Morgan on his hip and Carly at his side as they negotiated the mass of people currently taking up much of the visitors lounge on the sixth floor at General Hospital. With Maxie and Spinelli cheerfully at his heels, he tried not to begrudge his family how much they all wanted to be here when the last thing he wanted to do was spend Christmas Eve in public with a lot of people who thought of him as pure mob scum. Instead, he would have rather been wrapped up in Carly on the couch in the living room, watching one of those sappy movies that she loved so much while Morgan sprawled out on the floor eating popcorn with Spinelli and even Maxie. That was the Christmas Eve he had envisioned in his head. Apparently, Carly and the rest of them had decided they belonged at the hospital Christmas party instead.

He could feel her blue eyes on him even before he looked up to seek them out. Carly smiled at him reassuringly and tightened her grip on his arm as Morgan surged past with Spinelli and Maxie to throw themselves into the throng of the party. They stood on the periphery of the party, Jason's arm tightly around her waist and her chin on his shoulder. It had been a long year, one filled with change. They started it with one less and added two along the way. They were starting to repair a relationship that had been destroyed in April thanks to a visit to see Michael with the former mentor and husband. There was still so much that would have to happen, but for tonight, Jason just wanted to pretend for his family.

There was a bellowing laughter as Mac Scorpio came into the room and found his way to the oversized chair clad in a red velvet Santa suit. The children ambled over and spread out on the floor, all eager to hear the story of the Night Before Christmas. Patients mixed with the children of staff gathered around, with Morgan on Maxie's lap right in the middle. Spinelli sat by their side proudly, his arm entwined around his best friend as he leaned over to whisper to the little boy. It was nice sight for anyone who didn't know better, but Jason had had enough Christmases at GH to know that something was missing. Today was the first day in a long time he had allowed himself to miss his father.

"Thinking of Alan?" Carly murmured into his ear as if to read his mind. He turned to her with a soft smile and nodded. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his forehead before nudging him gently with her hip. "Your mom's over there. I'm sure that she would appreciate a Christmas greeting from her only living child."

Jason squeezed her hand gratefully before leaving her alone to find his mother. Monica stood behind the nurse's station with her face alit as she watched the party unfold in front of her. This had always been Alan and Emily's favorite hospital event of the year, and it felt lonely not having them here again. She had endured last Christmas in a vodka haze, but she was facing this holiday with a sober reality. There was only one thing that could lift her spirits, and in that moment, her angels from above sent it to her at a much-needed time. "Merry Christmas, Mom."

Monica looked up as tears prickled in her eyes. She turned to her son and buried her face in his sturdy chest as he enveloped her into his arms. "Merry Christmas, Jason," she retorted before daring to look up at him. He smiled that soft smile, the one that had stolen her heart when he was just a little boy. Even after all these years and all the things he had seen, that same smile was still evident in those ocean blue eyes. "You called me Mom. Again."

While the two of them caught up in a way that they hadn't in far too long, Bobbie and Lucas slipped beside Carly. She smiled exuberantly as she threw her arms around her baby brother, hugging him tightly until he protested for air. Bobbie couldn't help but smile affectionately as she watched her children, thankful that she was able to have another holiday with them. Her eyes drifted to where Morgan was captivated by the story, wishing that her other grandson could be there but grateful that they still had their miracle baby. "Merry Christmas, Mama," Carly whispered into her mother's year as she linked their arms together. "Jason and I set a date."

"You did?" she asked, her face painted with unabashed joy. This was exactly what she had always wanted for her daughter – to know the love of a good man. Though his methods were questionable, Jason Morgan was that good man for her little girl. "When?"

"Next week," Carly answered as she looked between her mother and her brother. "We were going to wait, but why should we? We've had more than a decade of waiting. My divorce is final now. Morgan and Spinelli are both on board. We're ready to get married."

"Well, I hear congratulations are in order," Lucas declared as Jason sauntered over with his mother. Jason looked at Carly before realizing what he meant. He accepted Lucas' outstretched hand and shook it firmly. "Welcome to the family."

Monica moved over to stand next to her best friend as Jason returned to Carly's side. The two of them immediately got lost in each other in a way that only two people completely in love could manage to do. "This is a good thing," Monica told Bobbie. "I finally see that now. Carly is a good thing for Jason."

"They're good for each other," Bobbie acknowledged. "What do you say we go get our grandson so that you can get to know him? Morgan's a pretty amazing kid. I have a feeling that you're going to love him."

Carly and Jason watched silently as their mothers and Lucas headed over to join Spinelli, Maxie and Morgan to listen to the story. The sight wasn't lost on either of them, and yet, they didn't really feel the need to talk about it. It somehow made sense that things would happen this way. Just when Jason was about to suggest that they go over to join them, he felt a small tug on the sleeve of his coat. He turned around to find Cameron standing there with Lucky behind him. "Merry Christmas, Jason."

Jason knelt down to eye level as Carly kept her hand on his shoulder. Jason reached up to cover it as he grinned at the little boy. "Merry Christmas, Cameron."

"We just thought that we would come over and say hello to the family," Lucky greeted them before leaning over to kiss Carly on the cheek. Since that night at dinner, the two of them had found a bond that could only be defined as being apart of the Spencer family. "Sam and I brought Cam so that we could meet up with Elizabeth and Sonny. They're supposed to bring Jake to see Santa. You know it's funny, a year ago, I would have never predicted this."

"Oh, I could have predicted parts of it," Carly commented as her eyes locked with Jason's. She had known that this was going to be a year that had changed her life. Filled with both utterly devastating and completely exhilarating moments, it had done exactly that. "So you're dealing with the Sonny thing?"

"There's not much I can do otherwise if I want to see the boys," he shrugged. "Besides, she seems happy. I can't tell her what to do anymore than I could before. As long as her main focus is on Cam and Jake, I don't have a say what she does in her personal life. It's not easy to be happy about it sometimes, but you do what you have to do as a parent. You understand that."

"Yes, we do," Carly and Jason said in unison as Lucky scooped Cameron into his arms. Sam reappeared behind Lucky and leaned her head against his shoulder before meeting the eyes of her former flame and arch nemesis. Jason spoke softly as he acknowledged her. "Happy Holidays, Sam."

"The same to both of you," she returned with a genuine smile before nudging Lucky. "Elizabeth just came by with Jake. He's asking for you."

With a nod and a promise to come by to see Morgan soon, Lucky ushered his family away to meet Jake while Carly returned her full attention to Jason. She felt her heart swell at the pain in his blue eyes as he watched Lucky took Jake into his arms. He feigned a smile for her benefit, but she knew that he was in pain. As if on cue, Elizabeth looked up to see that same hurt shining back at her. She leaned over to say something to Lucky, who only nodded as he shifted the little boy back into her careful embrace. She walked across the lobby and stopped before she reached them. Elizabeth bit her bottom lip sheepishly as she searched for the right words to say. "Would you like to hold your son?" seemed to be the only ones that made sense, and so that was what she asked Jason.

Jason nodded happily as he took Jake into his embrace and looked down in admiration into those blue eyes that mirrored his own. Carly stood tentatively by his side, reaching up to stroke the boy's downy blonde hair and talk to him. Elizabeth watched them silently for a moment, realizing how much they looked like a family. If she hadn't known, she could have believed that they were the proud parents doting over their son. In fact, the picture was made even more complete when Morgan trailed over to stand curiously by his mother, followed by a grinning Spinelli and Maxie. Jason turned instinctively to show his little boy off to the rest of the Morgan clan. For the first time, he truly felt like the father he had been all along.

The peaceful little picture was interrupted when Morgan took notice of his father and went running across the lobby to fly into Sonny's arms. Carly looked up with tears in her eyes as she watched the reunion. It was unexpected and not at all what she had planned. However, it seemed fitting that the three children that had been at the middle of this were with the fathers that loved them most. She looked from where Morgan was joking with Sonny to where Cameron was inspecting the Christmas tree with Lucky to where Jason was holding Morgan and knew that this had been orchestrated by powers much stronger than her. It was their perfect Christmas moment, one that neither Carly nor Jason had ever been able to believe in but had always hoped for. She knew that he felt it too when she felt him slip his hand in hers and hug her close to him.

And then, Elizabeth gave Jason perhaps the best gift anyone could have given him that year. Now that he had Carly and Morgan, the only missing part had been Jake. "We'll figure something out," she said softly as Morgan and Sonny came to her side. "I've talked to Lucky. I still want him in Jake's life. They love each other. But there has to be a way to make this work."

"We will all find a way," Carly spoke up for both of them. She wanted to hate Elizabeth and suspected that she would be able to again soon. However, it was Christmas, and this was what Jason wanted. Even more than that, it was what he needed. "Thank you."

Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully as she reached out to smooth her son's hair. "Why don't you go tell Monica?" she offered. "It's not the best time or place, but somehow, I don't think she'll care."

Jason returned her silent nod before looking up at Carly. "Come with me," he implored softly. She could see the fear in his eyes. There was something Jason Morgan was actually afraid of. She patted his back reassuringly before taking him over to get Monica's attention. The doctor was surprised to see Jason holding onto little Jake Spencer but followed his beckon nonetheless. "Monica, there's something we need to tell you."

Monica guided the trio into a private room just off of the visitors' lounge so that they could have some privacy. Once the door was shut, she looked back at her son questioningly. "Jason, what is it?"

"Monica, I'd like you to meet your grandson."

"My…what?"

It took five minutes to tell the story and another ten to answer all of her questions. It wasn't how he had planned on telling Monica the truth, but once it was all out, she had wept happily as she took her grandchild into her arms and held him close to her. Jason had mostly managed to hide his tears, while Carly let hers flow freely. He looked down at his fiancée and knew that this was all because of her. His life was happening because of Carly.

Eventually, the adults took Jake back out to be with his mother. However, before Jason handed the little blonde back to Elizabeth, she pulled a Polaroid camera from her oversized handbag and handed it to Lulu. She managed to wrangle Morgan away from Sonny long enough to pull him over to the Christmas tree. Jason grumbled good-naturedly as he followed Spinelli over to pose in front of it. He took his place in the middle next to Carly, holding Jake up on his left hip. Morgan stood proudly in front of his mother, her hands resting on his shoulder. Spinelli was crouched next to him with his signature toothy grin. Just before Lulu was about to snap the shot, Jason realized something was missing. "Maxie, come on," he called.

The blonde's doe eyes glittered as she bounced over and slunk to the ground next to Spinelli. The computer hacker looked at her in admiring adoration before wrapping his arm around her and situating Morgan in front of them. The Morgan family was one step closer to being complete and with the snap of the photo, the memory was one they would have for the rest of their lives.

Long after they had gotten home and Morgan was tucked into bed and Maxie and Spinelli were locked away in his room watching old movies, Jason sat next to Carly on the bed, looking down at the picture. "What a beautiful family," he mused. "Carly, thanks for making me go tonight. I didn't want to, but you somehow knew that was where I belonged."

"Of course I knew, Jase," she smiled genuinely as she moved her gaze from the photograph. "I was going to be there. Wherever I am, that's where you belong."


	22. Point Twenty Two

It was two days before the wedding, and Jason was in hell – or at least the white taffeta, endless seating arrangements, useless gifts from Crate & Barrel version of it. The past week had been filled with wedding cake tasting, suit fittings, menu planning, vow writing and flower arranging. He had come to covet the time each morning when Carly kissed him goodbye and allowed him to sprint toward the comforting silence of his black SUV and a day at the office. The only other time he managed to get her to talk about anything else was those first few minutes after he returned home and kissed her senseless. However, there would be no escaping the wedding buzz now.

As he sat at the kitchen table flanked by an overstressed Carly and an enthusiastic Maxie, he was silently chiding himself for agreeing to take a few days off to help her with the last-minute planning. It wasn't as if she really wanted his opinion anyways. She just wanted him here with her. She knew that he didn't really care whether they used a string quartet or a soloist for their music at the ceremony. It didn't matter to him what kind of champagne they served or where everyone sat or what color the napkins were. He just wanted to marry her. She wanted everything to be perfect. Carly figured there had to be a compromise somewhere in there.

"Alright, Carly, I think I have everything figured out," Maxie announced proudly as she turned the large seating arrangement chart she had made for her blonde counterpart to see. Carly inspected the drawing thoughtfully before moving around a few people. Maxie had mistakenly seated some of Jason's associates from Miami with an opposing family out of Puerto Rico. The younger woman hadn't quite picked up on all the nuances of mob life yet, but she would get there. Carly had, and she saw a lot of the same qualities in Maxie. "Sorry, I didn't see those two there."

Jason looked over the chart, wanting to make sure that his business obligations didn't become unnecessary situations. He hadn't really wanted to invite any of them. He preferred a small intimate wedding with his immediate family. That was what the whole thing had started out as until Carly's ambition had gotten the better of him. Now, there small wedding of twenty had spiraled to nearly 300. It was considered to be Port Charles' social event of the season and had been featured in the lifestyle section of the town's newspaper much to Jason's chagrin the previous Sunday. However, when he had seen the excitement raging in Carly's blue eyes, he had quickly conceded that whatever discomfort or inconvenience it imparted on him was well worth it to see her smile like that.

"Jase, do you think I invited everyone?" Carly asked worriedly as she looked over her long list again. She had invited so many people that she now feared she had left someone off. The last thing she wanted Jason to get blamed for was disrespect. "Am I missing anyone?"

"I don't think there is anyone left in the world that you didn't invite," Jason answered sarcastically before shifting the legal pad out of her hand and setting it on the table. "Carly, you have got to ridiculous. I know that this wedding is important to you, but you are beginning to look frazzled and stressed out. I highly doubt your makeup artist is going to want to have to deal with puffy eyes."

She shot him a dirty look before Maxie leaned across the table with a murderous glint in her wide eyes. "You do not know anything about women, Jason Morgan," she declared. "Carly is doing all of this for you. The last thing you should be doing is insulting how she looks. She's a bride-to-be, and that makes her beautiful. You should be kissing her feet for even agreeing to marry you. I mean, I know you're all hot and stuff, but you leave a lot lacking in the romance department!"

Carly couldn't have disagreed with the feisty fashionista anymore if she tried but elected not to voice her opinion just yet. She enjoyed seeing Jason squirm in a way that only she could have previously pulled off. Maxie had a way of guilting the mobster into doing what she wanted just as easily as Carly did. He always claimed it was for Spinelli's sake, but Carly knew he cared about Maxie. "Fine, whatever," he muttered as he rolled his eyes at Maxie. "I'm sorry, Carly."

Her heart melted at his apology, however begrudging it was at the time. She knew that he hadn't meant it the way that Maxie had taken it. "Jase, nothing to apologize for," she promised as she reached over and squeezed his hand. "Maxie, despite how he acts sometimes, Jason is actually the most romantic man I have ever known. He just saves those grand declarations for me. He doesn't feel the need to share them with the rest of the world. I guess that's what I kind of love the most about him. With everyone else, I always felt the need to prove that I was good enough to have their heart. When I'm with Jason, I know that I'm good enough simply because he loves me."

Jason could have never found words that perfect to describe them if he had tried. Carly just had that way about her. She could verbally define the feelings that enraptured his heart every single time she smiled at him. "Still, Maxie is right," he conceded. "I know how important this is to you, and I haven't been as helpful as I should have been. For that, I really do owe you an apology. What can I do?"

It was in that moment that Carly realized how wrong she had been. She didn't need the extensive guest list or the gourmet menu or the lavish ceremony or the fresh tulips flown in from Holland. The only thing she needed was the handful of people who really mattered when all was said and done. Now, she only had to find a way to set it all right. "I'll tell you what. Caring is really all I needed from you," she decided. "Why don't you and Spinelli pick Morgan up from school early? The three of you can just hang out and get away from this wedding stuff. I have Maxie's help. I think the two of us can manage without you."

He asked if she was sure even as he was halfway out the door. Carly offered him a wry grin and a confident nod as she came over to kiss him. Jason called for Spinelli, who came bumbling into the kitchen soon after with his trusty backpack in hand. It took less than thirty seconds for both men to vacate the kitchen and leave a scheming Carly and a confused Maxie behind.

"Alright, what just happened here?" were the first words off Maxie's tongue once the door had slammed shut. "How did Jason get out of that?"

"I've got a plan," Carly answered. Maxie eyed her skeptically, trying to ignore the shiver of fear working its way up her spine. She had been around long enough to know that Carly's plans were never a good idea. "Forget what you know about this wedding. Here's what we need to do…."

Meanwhile, it took Jason and Spinelli twenty minutes to collect Morgan from school and make their way over to Kelly's for a late lunch. Renovations on the little café were now complete, and Bobbie and Mike had happily enjoyed a reopening with the family two days prior. Morgan had been their first official customer, proudly paying for two chocolate chip cookies with the dollar bill that Jason had given him for folding laundry that morning. However, Jason's reasons for returning to the diner on this particular day were just not of the hunger pursuits. No, he had loftier ambitions in mind.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet me," he grinned at Bobbie and Lulu mischievously as he slid across from them at the corner table. Spinelli and Mike had managed to distract Morgan at the counter with promises of sugary goodness and an unending stack of quarters for the jukebox. "If Carly hadn't let me out of the house this afternoon, I'm not really sure how we could have pulled it off."

"Carly loves surprises. Once she figured out that you were planning something for her, I'm pretty sure that she would have let you off the hook," Bobbie assured him as she took a flat velvet box out of her oversized tote. "Let me know what you think."

Jason took the box from his future mother-in-law and opened the lid. A satisfied grin filled his face as he fingered the delicate strand of pearls. He wasn't a man of tradition, but there was one thing that he wanted to do for Carly when it came to the wedding. While he knew it was usually her wedding party's place to do the something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue, he had wanted to make it his wedding gift to her. "These are perfect, Bobbie," he replied finally.

He could just imagine how beautiful they would look around her neck. The vintage pearls had gone up for auction the day before at an upscale art house in New York City. Part of a collection from a regal Russian estate, he had known that they were the perfect "something old" as soon as he had seen the photographs. Bobbie had headed into the city the day before and managed to secure the piece for him.

Lulu reached into her peacoat and handed over another small package. "Edward was touched that you asked for this," she revealed as Jason again opened the tiny jewelry box. Inside was a monogrammed silk handkerchief in the lightest shade of blue imaginable. "He said even if it was going to go to Carly, your grandmother would be happy to know that you wanted to share something of hers with your new family. He also said that he can't wait to see you at the wedding."

Nodding thoughtfully, Jason ran his finger over Lila's delicate initials. He wished not for the first time that his grandmother could be there to share in his special day. There were too many people that would be missing from his family – his grandmother, his father, his sister, even his brother. It would just be Edward, Monica and him, the three soul survivors of the Quartermaine clan. Sure, Tracey would be there with Ned and Dillon, but he'd never really connected to them. "My grandmother always had a soft spot for Carly," he remembered. "She said that the two of them were kindred because they understood what it was like to love a difficult man."

Bobbie smiled warmly, remembering the wonderful and generous woman who had acted as a matriarch to much of Port Charles. She had been apart of the Quartermaine family for a short time and even years later, the grace and love Lila had bestowed upon her had been truly amazing. "Only Lila could draw a comparison between herself and Carly," she laughed. "I take it that's your something blue. I'm sure that you have something covered for the something new. I'd like it if you would let me give her the something borrowed."

Jason hadn't really come up with an idea for that particular tradition and was grateful that Carly's mother had an idea. He nodded his permission before Bobbie pulled out another box. "These were my Aunt Ruby's," she revealed as she showed him the platinum and pearl chandelier earrings. "She gave them to me, and someday, I am going to leave them to Carly. I think they'll go quite well with the necklace and still work with her dress."

"Oh, Bobbie!" Lulu gasped as she looked at the earrings. She knew instantly that Carly would love them. They were ornate without being over the top. They made a statement without saying too much. "They're perfect."

"Absolutely perfect," Jason agreed. "Thank you, Bobbie. I know that it will mean a lot to Carly that you wanted to share this part of her family with her. As for the something new, I have that worked out, but I want to save that until the wedding."

Lulu crossed her arms over her chest in a feigned fit of disappointment. "No fair!"

Jason was about to laughingly apologize when Morgan came over, tugging on his sleeve and begging for him to come over and help pick out a song. Jason shrugged as he followed the little boy over to make his musical selection. As Bobbie watched after her grandson and the man that would soon be her son, she felt her heart grow a little fuller. He had been so thoughtful about wanting to give Carly everything she deserved. That was all Bobbie had ever wanted for her daughter. And now that they were on the brink of getting everything that they wanted, she finally felt sure that nothing was going to take that away from either one of them.


	23. Point Twenty Three

Jason shifted Morgan from one hip to the other as he struggled to make his way up the sidewalk to the dimly lit bar. The last thing he wanted to do was drag the little boy into the dingy biker bar, but Carly had been adamant that he be the one to swing by Jake's to pick up the keg. It was the only thing he had expressed any interest in as far as the wedding or the reception, so she had put him in charge of making sure that it showed up on time. "I should have left you with Spinelli," Jason muttered as he sat the brunette boy to his feet. He leaned down to readjust Morgan's tie before straightening his own. Morgan offered him a lopsided smile as he reached up for Jason's hand and pulled him toward the entrance. "Your mom should have never sent me here with you."

Still with a curse for his best friend on his lips, he swung the door open and was surprised when the usual musty scent and booming music didn't welcome him. Instead, he was met with a bluesy guitar soundtrack and an aromatic glow of vanilla candles. "Coleman?" he called as he stepped in. His jaw dropped as Morgan slipped past him and into the waiting arms of his mother. Carly stood in the middle of the tiny bar, the tables arranged on the perimeter and Father Coates standing in the middle. "What is going on?"

"Well, I'd ordinarily refuse to marry anyone in a bar, but I figure there are some situations that just call for an exception," Father Coates replied. "I have known Carly since she has come to town. I can safely say fewer people have logged more time in confession than her." Carly shrugged with a wry smile at the slight tease from the Catholic priest. "When she came to ask me to marry the two of you, I could only think about how it was about time. The two of you deserve your perfect beginning, and she somehow thinks that starts here."

Jason looked to Carly with amazement in his blue eyes. The last thing he wanted to do was make this wedding anything less than she deserved. "Are you sure…?"

"It doesn't matter how I marry you, Jase. I would marry you in a castle in England or in the middle of a sewer treatment plant. There is no perfect place or perfect day or perfect ceremony. There is only a perfect person. You are that person for me," she gushed unabashedly, not caring who saw or heard. She knew that it could embarrass him. "I have the proof at home, framed above the fireplace in my bedroom. That stupid online dating profile, remember? It told us all that we needed to know. We're going to get married right here, right now. I don't need the big wedding with all the people. I just need you and me and Morgan and the people that we love most."

Carly's grand declaration drew the rest of the wedding guests out of the shadows. Monica came out holding onto Edward's arm with Bobbie, Lucas and Lulu close behind. Spinelli and Maxie were the last to arrive, both dressed in formal wear. Carly had changed her mind at the last minute about having Lulu stand up with her. While she did love Lulu, she felt a need to have Maxie stand up with their family. Something told her that the blonde was always going to be apart of their inner immediate family. She belonged up there with them. The rest of the Spencer family would join the other Quartermaines, business associates and friends later at the reception. The wedding was just for them.

"Alright, well, if everyone is here, I think that we can get started," Father Coates announced.

"Wait!" Bobbie called out suddenly as she glanced down at her silently vibrating cell phone. She slipped out the front door and returned a moment later with a bundled child in her arms. The kid was so wrapped up that it was impossible to tell who was beneath the layers of sweaters and parka. Bobbie brought the child over to Carly. She leaned down and slowly removed the coat to reveal a blonde-headed grinning Jake. "Okay, I think we can get started now."

Carly reached for Morgan's hand and scooped Jake up into her arms as she met Jason's watery gaze. There were few things that could bring tears to Jason Morgan's eyes, but the sight of the love of his life holding onto two of their sons was more than enough to conjure up the waterworks. "Let's do this," she murmured as she shifted Jake into his father's arms and turned to Father Coates.

"Every life begins with one woman and one man," the priest recited. "For Caroline Spencer and Jason Morgan, that life began more than ten years ago when they fell in love over a slow dance in this very place. Over the years to come, their love would intensify through their commitment to each other and their family. True best friends if I've ever seen them, they would add three children to their family – Michael, Morgan and Jake. Everyone that has been blessed enough to witness this growth knows that they have witnessed something truly amazing."

"Today, I have the divine privilege of uniting Carly and Jason together in the eyes of the law. However, as long as I have known either one of them, they have been tied in the eyes of God. A love unmatched has led them through so many perils, each time coming out stronger on the other end," he continued. "Carly and Jason will now share their vows to each other."

Turning to Jason, she looked into his blue eyes and felt that familiar sense of coming home wash over her. "When I was a little girl, I had this image of the man that I was going to fall in love with. He was handsome and kind and generous. He would sweep me away and put me up in a castle, taking care of me until we died in each others arms," she remembered. "That was just a child's dream. I had no way of knowing that my reality would be so much better. I was lucky enough to fall in love with my best friend. He is more handsome than I could have ever imagined. He would give me the entire world without a second thought, and there is absolutely nothing in this world he wouldn't do for our children. However, most of all, the thing that I have come to love most about you is that you would never cage me in a castle. You give me the room I need to live and be the person that I am. As lucky as I was to fall for you, I was even luckier that you fell for me."

Jason reached up and wiped a stray tear from her eyes with the pad of his thumb. Her words were perfect. They were her, they were them. "Thank you," he mouthed to her. She nodded and returned his smile.

"And now, Jason, your vows to Carly."

He gazed down at her, resisting the urge to press his forehead to hers and take her mouth right there. He felt Jake's little hand stir on his shoulder. Everything that he had ever wanted was right here in this room. "Today is one of the happiest days of my life," he confessed aloud. "I had no idea of knowing where that game of pool and that bet would take us. It would give me my best friend in the entire world, the one place I can come to after everything has fallen apart and I just need to make sense of it all. It would give me a family and a place to belong when I was still trying to make my place in the world. It would give me a beautiful godson in Morgan, a child that I love completely as my own. It would give me Jake, an amazing surprise in the midst of a very dark night. But before all that, before I fully realized my love for Carly, it gave me the one person that should be here but can't be."

"Michael may have never been my son biologically, but anyone that knew us knew that he was mine in every way that counted," he declared. "Michael was the perfect illustration of my love for Carly and her love for me. He is what kept us together, even when life tried to rip us apart over and over again. I think it's important to remember him today of all days because without him, I don't know that we would be here. I love Michael. I love Morgan. I love Jake. I love Carly. I love my family. Today is just another day in our family, but it's a good one."

Their vows were unconventional to say the least but somehow worked for them. Father Coates smiled at both of them. "And now, they will exchange the rings."

Monica leaned forward and handed Carly a simple gold band. "This ring belonged to Dr. Alan Quartermaine, Jason's father," she told everyone but looked at Jason. "It symbolizes years of a love that was beautiful in its complication and complexity. Few people understood what it was that kept Alan and Monica together for all those years, much like you and me. With this ring, I promise to hold onto what keeps us together – our love."

Jason smiled at his bride and then at his mother. It was exactly what he wanted without really knowing it. It gave him a part of his parents' love, one that he had never fully contemplated or understood until now. He took out the platinum band that matched the wedding set he had given Carly all those years ago. "I have this ring to you once, and I always promised myself that I would slip it onto your finger again someday. I thank God that today is finally that day. You were a beautiful surprise to me, one that continues to give me something new every day. With this ring, I promise to give you the one thing that still surprises me the most after all this time – our love."

"And now, as part of the ceremony, Carly has asked that she and Jason share their vows for their children," Father Coates told the crowd. "Carly."

Carly grabbed Jason's hand and dragged him down so that all four of the Morgan family was at eye level. She turned and looked past Jason to her favorite hacker. "Spinelli, come here," she commanded. The awkward young man knelt down next to Morgan and Jake, catching Jason's eye as the two exchanged a content smile. "Jason and I are not only vowing to love each other for the rest of our lives today, we are promising that we will love each of you. We don't need this wedding for that. I hope and I pray that the three of you and Michael already knew that."

"Spinelli, you are perhaps the only person besides the kids and I that have ever made Jason laugh as much as you have," she smiled as she looked into his wide dark eyes. "You once told me that you didn't know where you belonged until you met Maxie. I just want you – both of you – to know that you will always have a place to belong because you belong with us. You belong with our family."

"Morgan and Jake, genetics have never really been a factor when children were involved with Jason and me. I promise that we will protect you, watch over you, care for you and love you until the end of time," Carly vowed as she looked from one little boy to the other. "And Michael, wherever you are, I know that you are here with us, grinning that grin, because you always knew that this was going to happen. We love all three of you more than you could ever know."

The family wrapped each other in a group hug, something that Jason would have rarely indulged in front of people. Then, they stood up and Spinelli took Jake into his arms while Maxie guided Morgan out of the way. Father Coates then looked at the newly united couple. "With the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife," he told them. "Jason, you may kiss your bride."

Carly leaned into Jason and captured his mouth easily. He wrapped his arms around her before dipping her back slightly. She burst into giggles as they straightened up and turned to look at the intimate gathering of friends and family. "I present Jason and Carly Morgan."


	24. Point Twenty Four

_Four months later…_

Spring was in full bloom as Carly and Jason headed up the lightly shaded path in front of the clinic where Michael had been living for the past year. Carly felt her finger brush against the cool metal of Jason's wedding finger, sending a delicious shiver up her spine that she still wasn't tired of after four months of marriage. The thrill of being his wife hadn't lessened in the weeks since they said their vows in front of their family and friends at their favorite bar. If anything, it only grew with each passing day. Every time they overcame another hurdle together or passed another noteworthy milestone in their relationship, she was grateful that they were taking another step together in their very long journey.

One of the first hardships they had had to endure in their married life was the revelation that Jason was Jake's biological father. While few people were still privy to the true nature of the little boy's genetics, the people that mattered knew the truth. Diane and Alexis had worked out a mutual custody agreement between all three parents in Jake's life – Elizabeth, Lucky and Jason. Elizabeth had retained primary custody of both her sons, something that had been important to both fathers involved. While most people would have encouraged Lucky and Jason to go after her for all the stunts she had pulled, they were all able to look past it and do the best thing for the boys. The best thing was for them to be together with their mother. It was their core sense of stability and after all they had been through in their too short lives, it would be cruel to uproot them from what they knew and from each other.

As important as it had been for Elizabeth to be the primary parent for Jake, Jason had felt it equally important for Jake to maintain a relationship with Lucky. The little boy still called the police detective "Daddy," and Jason couldn't stand the thought of taking that away from his son. He loved Jake that much – to let him love someone in a paternal role that he should have filled from the beginning of his life. Lucky had the boys two nights a week together. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening and one weekend a month, they would head over to the cottage with their bags of clothes and toys to spend time making forts and watching movies with Lucky and Sam.

Jason and Carly had Jake the rest of the weekends and got to spend as much time with him as they wanted. Theirs was a flexible visiting schedule meant to leave enough room for the varying needs that come along with having a two-year-old. He adored spending time at their house and had quickly gotten use to being the center of the Morgan world. Morgan liked having the younger boy around, content to not be the baby for once. He was always trying to teach him how to do new things. Jake also loved everything that had to do with Spinelli, which was pretty much the norm for anyone in the hacker's life. He laughed at everything Spinelli did but still managed to look at him with that half-annoyed look that Jason had perfected. Carly's favorite thing was when Jake and Jason would look at Spinelli like that at the same time.

Maxie had remained a fixture at the Morgan house, often spending evenings at the dining room table with the rest of the family. Now that she was sharing an apartment with Lulu, they would occasionally spend the night over at her place. They were still best friends but glimmers of something more was starting to shine through. Spinelli was hopelessly in love and Maxie was still pretending to be ignorant of it. However, as someone who had once played love's clueless fool, she recognized the signs of a blonde reluctantly in love. Maxie had confided a few feelings to Carly. They had continued to grow closer, and Carly had almost taken the burgeoning fashionista under her wing. The two of them together still exasperated Jason, but Carly was beginning to suspect that he loved the chaos they invariably brought to his life.

After getting through a tumultuous phase of adjustment, Elizabeth and Sonny had come to realize that it was hard to build a relationship over the ghosts of two loves lost. Elizabeth had realized that the same fears she had when she was with Jason were still there with Sonny, only that he lacked the emotional stability that had been her small comfort with the mob enforcer. They ended things on amicable terms before she started to take up with Matt Hunter. The cocky brain surgeon had quickly fallen for the wholesome nurse, closely mimicking the transformation his half brother had taken after meeting Robin Scorpio. Matt was nervous the first time he met Jason and Lucky. As the two loves of her life, he knew that he had big shoes to fill and would likely face some serious consequences if he was to disappoint Elizabeth. However, after seeing how happy he made Elizabeth and how well he interacted with the boys, they had given him their nod of approval. It shouldn't have mattered to Elizabeth, but it did. These were two men that would always be in her life, and she needed for this to be okay for them. She felt like if it was okay for Jason and Lucky, it would be fine for Cam and Jake. Now, the mismatched family of Elizabeth and Matt and Jason and Carly and Sam and Lucky and all the kids managed to have dinner the first Sunday of every month. It had been awkward at first but somehow it worked.

The other little twig of the distorted family tree that made an appearance at those family dinners was Sonny. For the first time in his life, he had decided to take time out from relationships and just focus on being a father. He had managed to stay away from the mob life for the most part. Instead, his days were spent riding on the boat with Morgan, sitting by Michael's beside for hours and learning to braid Kristina's hair. It had taken both Alexis and Carly a long time to allow the kids to spend the night with him for the first time, but now, he got to keep them together one night a week. Carly hated when she had to drop Morgan off but loved the little alone time she got with Jason. She also appreciated the fact that Jason and Sonny were learning to at least be decent to each other again. While they were long from the friendship they once had, they were starting to form something else entirely different. Maybe it would be better for them all in the long run, but either way, she was just glad that they had come up with a way to give Morgan a family again.

And that was what the three adults were doing here again. It had been one year since the day that Michael was shot, but it felt like an entire lifetime ago. Jason had been worried about Carly all week, knowing what the day was going to do to her. He let go of her hand as she walked ahead of him, stopping when she reached Sonny. She slipped her arms around her ex-husband and held onto him for a moment before looking back for Jason. She held open her other arm and the three of them came together in a strangely comforting group embrace.

"I can't believe we're here," Carly said softly as she looked up at the long-term care institute. "I can't believe it's really been a year."

Sonny looked down at his hands. The day was brilliantly sunny, much like it had been the day that Michael was shot. It was just another cruel reminder of the events that had let him there. "It's been the longest year of my life," he acknowledged. "Thanks for letting me come."

"You're his father, Sonny," she replied automatically. Michael had loved Sonny for as long he could remember. Nothing had ever changed that. "You belong here just like Jason and me. We're his parents. We're his family."

Jason tucked his arm around his wife's slightly protruded waist and pulled her closer to him. She was three months pregnant with their first child together, one that she was so sure was a girl. Jason had cried the night when she told him that she was pregnant. Despite the odds, they had been able to conceive a child together in love. "We're supposed to be up there in like three minutes," he told them. "We should go."

Carly followed her husband and ex-husband dutifully toward the elevator. She had never gotten used to coming to this place. She did it twice every week while Morgan was at school. Jason would come with her one day and Sonny would come the other. She would come up sometimes by herself when she needed to talk to her son. Michael had been the first person to find out that she was pregnant. As she stepped out onto the floor that led to her son's room, she stopped to drop off the plate of cookies for the nurses. She always brought a little treat to them as a way of saying thanks for all that they did. They'd especially appreciated the cashmere scarves she had delivered for Christmas, though she knew it wasn't close to being enough for the care they gave Michael.

"Dr. O'Doyle is waiting for you," Deidre told the familiar trio as she grabbed a clipboard off the desk and headed toward one of the patient's room.

Sonny thanked her in his charming way before he followed Carly to the specialist's private office. The tall Irish man rose to greet them. He had been infinitely intimidated by Sonny and Jason when he had first met the infamous mobsters. However, he had looked past that to see three parents grieving for what he believed to be a truly amazing little boy. He had spent more time with those three than most of the families of his patients. They were loyal visitors and always asked smart and informed questions about Michael's condition and treatment.

"Hello, Mrs. Morgan," Dr. O'Doyle greeted Carly, pausing to kiss the blonde's cheek before shaking the men's hands. "Well, today is a big day, I know. What questions do you have?"

"How much has changed since the last time we were here?" Jason asked, brushing his thumb over Carly's hand as she tightened her grip. "Is there anything?"

"Things are pretty much the same as the last time you were here," the doctor grimaced. "Michael's condition is consistent with the pattern we've been seeing."

The three parents spent the next half hour asking a series of questions, trying to find out any new bit of information that would give them further insight into the situation. When all of their curiosities had been fully satisfied, Dr. O'Doyle led them to the room they had visited far too many times. Carly looked through the window at the blue walls and the childlike touches that she knew Michael would likely be outgrowing very soon. "We'll just give you a minute," Sonny told Carly as he took a seat on the bench next to Jason.

Carly let herself into the room and grinned as she stood at the foot of the bed. She gazed down at her son, her perfect boy, with his flaming red hair and alabaster skin. "Hey, Mr. Man."

"Hey, Mom!" Michael chirped as he leaped up from the bed, sending his pile of comic books crashing to the floor. She wrapped her arms around the boy as he hugged her tightly. "I thought you guys were never going to get here. I can't wait to go home. Where is everybody?"

"Your dad and Jason are out in the hallway," she answered as she ruffled his hair affectionately. "The boys are home with Grandma Bobbie and Grandpa Mike getting ready for your party. Spinelli and Maxie should be picking up your cake as we speak."

He pumped his fist enthusiastically, bringing a wide grin to Carly's face. She could hardly believe that the little boy that had lay comatose only three months before was so perfectly full of life now. It had taken a lot of physical and speech therapy to prepare him for this day, but today was the day where that all paid off. Carly had been there for many of those hard sessions where he had struggled to regain his full physical faculties, walking and running and throwing a ball. Jason had been there for those endless sessions where he had relearned how to speak, remembering his own struggles with recovery. Sonny had been the one to push his son when he really needed to be pushed and just wanted to give up. Kristina, Morgan, Spinelli and Jake had been there to lighten the load, and Maxie had been the doting older sister who fawned over him. He had woken up to an entirely different family than he had left behind, but somehow, he felt like he hadn't missed a day.

"I cannot wait to get out of here," he said with a wide smile as he surveyed the room. Carly had donated most of the remnants of the rooms to some of the other kids in the ward whose parents weren't around as much as Michael's had been. What little Michael wanted to bring home was packed into a pair of navy suitcases that were waiting by the door. "Mom, can you believe I really get to go home?"

"It's about time you were where you belong," she agreed as she opened the door.

Michael rushed forward to hug his father, laughing as Sonny picked him up. Michael was always insisting that he was too old for things now, reminding his parents that he was a year older than he had been. "Hey, Buddy!" Sonny greeted him. "Your brother and sister cannot wait to see you."

"I can't wait to see everyone," Michael smiled as he shimmied out of his father's grasp and went over to Jason. The two exchanged an intricate handshake before Jason pulled him into a hug. "Hey, Jase."

Dr. O'Doyle watched triumphantly as the three parents guided the little boy out of the hospital and into the waiting limousine downstairs. It was always a sweet day when one of the kids celebrated from the facility, a joyous event that was few and far between in his line of work. None of them bothered to look back as Jason rolled the suitcases out behind him with Sonny and Carly proudly flanking their son. The doctor watched as the former mob boss crawled into the dark car first followed by the resilient little boy. Jason and Carly were the last to slip into the vehicle, pausing to share a kiss before slamming the door on the place that had been a second home to them over the past year.

It was an hour ride to Port Charles and as soon as the car pulled up in front of the Morgan cottage, Michael was climbing across his father's lap and racing out to meet Morgan and Kristina. The three kids were laughing as Spinelli spilled out of the house with Jake in his arms. Most of Port Charles had turned out for the welcome home party. Sonny was close behind, looking uncharacteristically content as he stood by his father and watched his children.

Jason reached for Carly's hand and pulled her from the vehicle. He could see tears shining in her eyes as she watched Morgan and Michael hold onto Jake's hands and dash across the lawn. He had to admit it was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. "Well, he's home now," he whispered as he laid a kiss behind her ear. "Twenty-four points of perfection later, it's almost everything we could ever want."

"Forget that one point that says we weren't perfect," she decided, turning to meet his eyes. She brushed a long kiss over his lips. "We're completely perfect. Just look at them. This is perfect."

Long after the gifts had been opened and the cake was gone, long after the kids had disappeared into Michael's room to watch movies with Spinelli and Maxie and Lulu and a newly returned Dillon, long after everyone else but the Morgan family had left their cottage, Carly and Jason sat together on their sofa in the living room, looking up at a framed piece of paper full of silly test results above the mantle that told them everything that they had known for so long and were so lucky to have. It was their proof that they had it all.

_Fin._


End file.
